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This software works with Mac or Windows or iOS devices and can be used by 5 users or 5 devices. It protects your logins and passwords by creating a secure private connection. Very important for those who conduct business in coffee shops, and regularly log on to secure sites in public. It accomplishes this task by creating a VPN and encrypting your connection and making it invisible on public networks, so spy software will not be able to track it. According to product literature it also protects you during app usage on your iOS devices. Of course, you can also use it at home for better encryption.
Although Norton says that it will not cause any slowdown in the bandwidth, I keep experiencing delays, especially on public networks. It's hard to tell what's causing it though as the public networks are public and there are multiple users logged on at any time. The software also starts automatically on Mac and Windows. For iOS you will have to turn on VPN protection in settings. Then go into Norton settings to make the privacy protection manual. That will allow you to manually enable VPN protection when you are on a public network, otherwise you will experience slow speeds on secure networks.
It's good to use some sort of privacy when logged on to public networks, but given the slow down I won't use it if I am just watching youtube or casual websurfing. I am already careful never to enter email passwords or bank passwords when I am on public WiFi and use my cellular network. So given the high cost of this product it has limited use for me. | 1 | neutral | [
"This software works with Mac or Windows or iOS devices and can be used by 5 users or 5 devices.",
"It protects your logins and passwords by creating a secure private connection.",
"Very important for those who conduct business in coffee shops, and regularly log on to secure sites in public.",
"It accomplishes this task by creating a VPN and encrypting your connection and making it invisible on public networks, so spy software will not be able to track it.",
"According to product literature it also protects you during app usage on your iOS devices.",
"Of course, you can also use it at home for better encryption.",
"Although Norton says that it will not cause any slowdown in the bandwidth, I keep experiencing delays, especially on public networks.",
"It's hard to tell what's causing it though as the public networks are public and there are multiple users logged on at any time.",
"The software also starts automatically on Mac and Windows.",
"For iOS you will have to turn on VPN protection in settings.",
"Then go into Norton settings to make the privacy protection manual.",
"That will allow you to manually enable VPN protection when you are on a public network, otherwise you will experience slow speeds on secure networks.",
"It's good to use some sort of privacy when logged on to public networks, but given the slow down I won't use it if I am just watching youtube or casual websurfing.",
"I am already careful never to enter email passwords or bank passwords when I am on public WiFi and use my cellular network.",
"So given the high cost of this product it has limited use for me."
] |
'We Have Reached A Deal': West Virginia Teacher Strike Set To End With Pay Raise : The Two
Gov. Jim Justice is expected to quickly sign the deal.
Both Justice and the West Virginia Education Association celebrated the agreement even before members of the state's House and Senate convened a conference committee to discuss it.
"I stood rock solid on the 5% Teacher pay raise and delivered. Not only this but my staff and I made additional cuts which will give all State employees 5% as well " Justice tweeted. "All the focus should have always been on fairness and getting the kids back in school."
"WE WON!" the union exclaimed just minutes later in a tweet of its own and it posted a Facebook video of teachers erupting in cheers in the Capitol. The demonstrators gathered there shouted chants of "Sign it! Sign it!" as Justice waded into the crowd. | 1 | neutral | [
"'We Have Reached A Deal': West Virginia Teacher Strike Set To End With Pay Raise : The Two\nGov.",
"Jim Justice is expected to quickly sign the deal.",
"Both Justice and the West Virginia Education Association celebrated the agreement even before members of the state's House and Senate convened a conference committee to discuss it.",
"\"I stood rock solid on the 5% Teacher pay raise and delivered.",
"Not only this but my staff and I made additional cuts which will give all State employees 5% as well \" Justice tweeted.",
"\"All the focus should have always been on fairness and getting the kids back in school.",
"\"\n\"WE WON!",
"\" the union exclaimed just minutes later in a tweet of its own and it posted a Facebook video of teachers erupting in cheers in the Capitol.",
"The demonstrators gathered there shouted chants of \"Sign it!",
"Sign it!",
"\" as Justice waded into the crowd."
] |
I admit, I've been playing Madden for years. I'm so familiar with the Madden line that I can play the newest addition and tell you which positional AI was changed to provide a more realistic football game. Unfortunately, EA and Microsoft could never work out a deal regarding Xbox Live so the best way to play ANY football sim (human vs. human) isn't available on the Xbox's Madden unless you have company. Thus I decided to learn ESPN NFL Football. Like everyone will tell you, ESPN Football has one heck of a slick presentation. The halftime and weekly highlights almost feel like you're watching ESPN Sportscenter. Madden could learn a lot from ESPN's presentation. I usually ignore franchise mode when I play Madden but I thought ESPN had such a nice interface that I ended up playing the CPU a lot. Unfortunately, I never could get used to the game mechanics of ESPN football. One huge difference between Madden and ESPN is that players move much more realistically in Madden. Momentum is gone in ESPN and it almost feels like I'm controlling a player in an NFL Blitz game because it's so easy to cut and turn. But worst of all is the attrocious tackling in ESPN. You can play on the toughest difficulty level and an average halfback can look like Earl Campbell because he bounces off so many tackles. Speaking of difficulty levels, that was a real disappointment as well. Basically, when you increase the difficulty, all it does is make the CPU tougher, and you worse. So you can't tackle as well as your normally would but the CPU tackle goes way up! There are a lot of things in ESPN I wish Madden would try and I think if someone were ever able to combine both games, we would get the perfect football sim, but for now I'll stick with Madden. I would recommend ESPN for anyone that is new to football games as it's much easier to play than Madden and has an entertaining ESPN theme to it. There's a reason why NFL players stick with Madden though, it's still the best football sim out there. | 1 | neutral | [
"I admit, I've been playing Madden for years.",
"I'm so familiar with the Madden line that I can play the newest addition and tell you which positional AI was changed to provide a more realistic football game.",
"Unfortunately, EA and Microsoft could never work out a deal regarding Xbox Live so the best way to play ANY football sim (human vs.",
"human) isn't available on the Xbox's Madden unless you have company.",
"Thus I decided to learn ESPN NFL Football.",
"Like everyone will tell you, ESPN Football has one heck of a slick presentation.",
"The halftime and weekly highlights almost feel like you're watching ESPN Sportscenter.",
"Madden could learn a lot from ESPN's presentation.",
"I usually ignore franchise mode when I play Madden but I thought ESPN had such a nice interface that I ended up playing the CPU a lot.",
"Unfortunately, I never could get used to the game mechanics of ESPN football.",
"One huge difference between Madden and ESPN is that players move much more realistically in Madden.",
"Momentum is gone in ESPN and it almost feels like I'm controlling a player in an NFL Blitz game because it's so easy to cut and turn.",
"But worst of all is the attrocious tackling in ESPN.",
"You can play on the toughest difficulty level and an average halfback can look like Earl Campbell because he bounces off so many tackles.",
"Speaking of difficulty levels, that was a real disappointment as well.",
"Basically, when you increase the difficulty, all it does is make the CPU tougher, and you worse.",
"So you can't tackle as well as your normally would but the CPU tackle goes way up!",
"There are a lot of things in ESPN I wish Madden would try and I think if someone were ever able to combine both games, we would get the perfect football sim, but for now I'll stick with Madden.",
"I would recommend ESPN for anyone that is new to football games as it's much easier to play than Madden and has an entertaining ESPN theme to it.",
"There's a reason why NFL players stick with Madden though, it's still the best football sim out there."
] |
Love it or hate it, Mega Man games grow like leaves on trees. Given the vast amount of success Mega Man enjoyed during the early years of the NES, it was only natural that some version of the game would end up on Nintendo's portable, gray brick. Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge (known as Rockman World in Japan) would mark the beginning of yet another series of titles for the blue bomber, one of the first Capcom would outsource rather than develop internally.
Given that this title is often referred to as "Mega Man" given the lack of subtitle on the title screen, the first thing most people do is compare this to the 1987 original. This makes since the game borrows from that game, presenting four of its six robot masters. While Cut Man, Elec Man, Ice Man and Fire Man reappear in all their glory, everything else is new, or rather a mix of things from Mega Man and Mega Man II. For example, while Elec Man's level will remind one of the area they played through on the NES, it's crossed with elements that were used Air Man's level in Mega Man II. It's an interesting hybrid to be sure, but the allure can be cut short facing your first robot master without the aid of the correct weapon.
Annoying as that is, things get back on track pretty quickly. The damage incurred from robot master weapons and enemies is much more balanced in this rendition, so you won't get blown away as quickly. Unfortunately, trouble again rears its ugly head during the game's concluding levels. While the first Wily level can be tough with its five concluding battles, nothing compares to the last. I love a challenge as much as the next guy but the final level is too big for it britches and throws everything it can at the player. As one can imagine, this puts quite the damper on the proceedings but there are other areas of the game that help make up for it like the excellent soundtrack. Seriously, I can't be the only one who blares Cut Man and Fire Man's theme from the back of my car, can I?
Regardless of my weakness for delectable 8-bit chiptunes, Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge stands as a solid, portable take of the Mega Man we all know and love. I wish the concluding levels of the game were a little more forgiving than they currently are but I can think of games that are guilty of far more. Still, take the above a grain of salt, because the game is definitely capable of making one grind their teeth no matter how one sugarcoats it. | 1 | neutral | [
"Love it or hate it, Mega Man games grow like leaves on trees.",
"Given the vast amount of success Mega Man enjoyed during the early years of the NES, it was only natural that some version of the game would end up on Nintendo's portable, gray brick.",
"Mega Man: Dr.",
"Wily's Revenge (known as Rockman World in Japan) would mark the beginning of yet another series of titles for the blue bomber, one of the first Capcom would outsource rather than develop internally.",
"Given that this title is often referred to as \"Mega Man\" given the lack of subtitle on the title screen, the first thing most people do is compare this to the 1987 original.",
"This makes since the game borrows from that game, presenting four of its six robot masters.",
"While Cut Man, Elec Man, Ice Man and Fire Man reappear in all their glory, everything else is new, or rather a mix of things from Mega Man and Mega Man II.",
"For example, while Elec Man's level will remind one of the area they played through on the NES, it's crossed with elements that were used Air Man's level in Mega Man II.",
"It's an interesting hybrid to be sure, but the allure can be cut short facing your first robot master without the aid of the correct weapon.",
"Annoying as that is, things get back on track pretty quickly.",
"The damage incurred from robot master weapons and enemies is much more balanced in this rendition, so you won't get blown away as quickly.",
"Unfortunately, trouble again rears its ugly head during the game's concluding levels.",
"While the first Wily level can be tough with its five concluding battles, nothing compares to the last.",
"I love a challenge as much as the next guy but the final level is too big for it britches and throws everything it can at the player.",
"As one can imagine, this puts quite the damper on the proceedings but there are other areas of the game that help make up for it like the excellent soundtrack.",
"Seriously, I can't be the only one who blares Cut Man and Fire Man's theme from the back of my car, can I?",
"Regardless of my weakness for delectable 8-bit chiptunes, Mega Man: Dr.",
"Wily's Revenge stands as a solid, portable take of the Mega Man we all know and love.",
"I wish the concluding levels of the game were a little more forgiving than they currently are but I can think of games that are guilty of far more.",
"Still, take the above a grain of salt, because the game is definitely capable of making one grind their teeth no matter how one sugarcoats it."
] |
Lime and chili? When I saw that on the package, I was most intrigued! It seemed like an odd combination. But I like the taste of lime and I really like the zing of a good chili.
Well, the label is half right. The taste of lime is really quite distinct and refreshing. I really enjoy that part of the equation. But from my experience with these chips, the chili taste is overpowered by the lime (or there was not much of the chili flavor to begin with).
Still, the lime test is so refreshing!
All in all, a good product because of the lime. But, in the end, rather unsatisfactory, because the pairing of lime and chili doesn't quite work. | 1 | neutral | [
"Lime and chili?",
"When I saw that on the package, I was most intrigued!",
"It seemed like an odd combination.",
"But I like the taste of lime and I really like the zing of a good chili.",
"Well, the label is half right.",
"The taste of lime is really quite distinct and refreshing.",
"I really enjoy that part of the equation.",
"But from my experience with these chips, the chili taste is overpowered by the lime (or there was not much of the chili flavor to begin with).",
"Still, the lime test is so refreshing!",
"All in all, a good product because of the lime.",
"But, in the end, rather unsatisfactory, because the pairing of lime and chili doesn't quite work."
] |
My kids (ages 5 years and 18 months) love bubbles. Because they always end up spilling the bubble solution every time we play with bubbles, Ive been wanting to get them a bubble container. This bubble bucket is very sturdy and quite heavy for something made out of plastic. That ensures that it is stable on the ground and doesnt tip over easily, which means we don't lose as much bubble solution. The bucket comes with three bubble wands that insert into slits on the top of the bucket. The fit is pretty tight (probably to avoid bubble spillage), so both of my kids sometimes have trouble getting the wands to go back into the bucket completely. This takes a bit of coordination, and I often have to help out. I think this problem could be solved by making the slits a bit bigger so the fit isn't as tight. The result would be a little more bubble spillage, but its probably worth it. Also, the wands themselves are not great at producing good bubbles. They are sturdy but too thick. All in all, this bucket is a good way to save bubble solution, but we prefer to use it with long, skinnier wands. | 1 | neutral | [
"My kids (ages 5 years and 18 months) love bubbles.",
"Because they always end up spilling the bubble solution every time we play with bubbles, Ive been wanting to get them a bubble container.",
"This bubble bucket is very sturdy and quite heavy for something made out of plastic.",
"That ensures that it is stable on the ground and doesnt tip over easily, which means we don't lose as much bubble solution.",
"The bucket comes with three bubble wands that insert into slits on the top of the bucket.",
"The fit is pretty tight (probably to avoid bubble spillage), so both of my kids sometimes have trouble getting the wands to go back into the bucket completely.",
"This takes a bit of coordination, and I often have to help out.",
"I think this problem could be solved by making the slits a bit bigger so the fit isn't as tight.",
"The result would be a little more bubble spillage, but its probably worth it.",
"Also, the wands themselves are not great at producing good bubbles.",
"They are sturdy but too thick.",
"All in all, this bucket is a good way to save bubble solution, but we prefer to use it with long, skinnier wands."
] |
I liked the film. Really. For the first hour I was wondering where the girl is, and it was just intolerable. And when everything became clear, it turned into a usual, regular flick. Although the first hour was enough not to call it a bad film.
At the beginning I thought: wow, that's so hitchcockian, just lake "The Lady Vanishes" or "Spoorloos" or in the last resort "Breakdown" with Kurt Russel. And for the first hour it seemed to be so. But then it appeared to be not enough. It didn't have the atmosphere of the most Hitchcock movies, it didn't have that psychological depth like in George Sluizer's "Spoorloos" and didn't have enough action like "Breakdown". Actors did their job well, Jodie Foster, Sean Bean and Peter Sarsgaard were quite believable but that was not enough.
"Flightplan" is one of these movies you forget about in a week, and definately not one of those you're going to watch for the second time. Especially knowing its outcome. It's a one-time film obviously and it's not that bad to kill one evening for it, but it's nothing more.
So I don't see a reason for buying this DVD, better watch it in theater or rent it. I guess if you purchase it, after the first viewing it will be just dusting on your shelf. | 1 | neutral | [
"I liked the film.",
"Really.",
"For the first hour I was wondering where the girl is, and it was just intolerable.",
"And when everything became clear, it turned into a usual, regular flick.",
"Although the first hour was enough not to call it a bad film.",
"At the beginning I thought: wow, that's so hitchcockian, just lake \"The Lady Vanishes\" or \"Spoorloos\" or in the last resort \"Breakdown\" with Kurt Russel.",
"And for the first hour it seemed to be so.",
"But then it appeared to be not enough.",
"It didn't have the atmosphere of the most Hitchcock movies, it didn't have that psychological depth like in George Sluizer's \"Spoorloos\" and didn't have enough action like \"Breakdown\".",
"Actors did their job well, Jodie Foster, Sean Bean and Peter Sarsgaard were quite believable but that was not enough.",
"\"Flightplan\" is one of these movies you forget about in a week, and definately not one of those you're going to watch for the second time.",
"Especially knowing its outcome.",
"It's a one-time film obviously and it's not that bad to kill one evening for it, but it's nothing more.",
"So I don't see a reason for buying this DVD, better watch it in theater or rent it.",
"I guess if you purchase it, after the first viewing it will be just dusting on your shelf."
] |
I enjoyed necronomicon. At times it was hard to hear the dialogue because the people either mumbled or talked to fast or soft. The graphics were good and the puzzles were not easy. The only thing i had to have help with was the correct urn. I just guessed any urn would due. I thought it was funny that in the town other than the fisherman nobody ever answered a door when i knocked. It is creepy like the 2 dracula games i played. Necronomicon is certainly harder than dracula -resurrection and a little bit harder than dracula-the last sanctuary. I thought the documents were complicated. If there is a negative to the game it is the overcomplicated documents.overall a good game. | 1 | neutral | [
"I enjoyed necronomicon.",
"At times it was hard to hear the dialogue because the people either mumbled or talked to fast or soft.",
"The graphics were good and the puzzles were not easy.",
"The only thing i had to have help with was the correct urn.",
"I just guessed any urn would due.",
"I thought it was funny that in the town other than the fisherman nobody ever answered a door when i knocked.",
"It is creepy like the 2 dracula games i played.",
"Necronomicon is certainly harder than dracula -resurrection and a little bit harder than dracula-the last sanctuary.",
"I thought the documents were complicated.",
"If there is a negative to the game it is the overcomplicated documents.",
"overall a good game."
] |
I own this album since my school days. I had it in vynil and now I have my copy in cd. I still enjoy very much the first two tunes here which are really balanced and very creative compositions. Elegant Gypsy Suite is a sort of fusion of styles suite where every player has his moments to shine but without losing himself in pure virtuosism. This tune is what really makes me love this album. The second one is really great too, the lovely "ballad" Nena. I did buy this one again just for these two tunes which I really wanted to have in my cd collection because I think they really deserves ammiration. "Advantage" even if it's not great as the opener is still a very good fusion ride. Simply I can't stand what follows. "Egyptian danza", "Race with devil" are simply boring, unbearable tunes. They are exotic and dramatic in their flavour (thanxs to the harmonic minor scale used here and there) but they are simply unbelievable heavy to listen to. There are moments as in "Egyptian danza" that are even ridicolous (around 2.15)!!! Awful stuff! The last tune "Cruisin" is a little bit better there is more melody and the things get better a little bit again. But frankly I think that even if it is a short album it could even be shorter and noone would complain. 13 minutes shorter to say the least! In the end 5 stars for the first two tunes, 3 and a half stars for the last song, and no stars for the 4th and fifth tunes that personally I find totally unbearable. But we all know Al never recorded a true masterpiece from the first note to the last one. He is very inconsistent as an artist. Impressive guitarist, decent music writer but without a true, solid inspiration. It's a shame because I still think he can do great things. He's talented (for example I enjoy very much Passion Grace and Fire the album he recorded with McLaughlin and DeLucia and even Orange and Blue another album of his) ... so c'mon Al! | 1 | neutral | [
"I own this album since my school days.",
"I had it in vynil and now I have my copy in cd.",
"I still enjoy very much the first two tunes here which are really balanced and very creative compositions.",
"Elegant Gypsy Suite is a sort of fusion of styles suite where every player has his moments to shine but without losing himself in pure virtuosism.",
"This tune is what really makes me love this album.",
"The second one is really great too, the lovely \"ballad\" Nena.",
"I did buy this one again just for these two tunes which I really wanted to have in my cd collection because I think they really deserves ammiration.",
"\"Advantage\" even if it's not great as the opener is still a very good fusion ride.",
"Simply I can't stand what follows.",
"\"Egyptian danza\", \"Race with devil\" are simply boring, unbearable tunes.",
"They are exotic and dramatic in their flavour (thanxs to the harmonic minor scale used here and there) but they are simply unbelievable heavy to listen to.",
"There are moments as in \"Egyptian danza\" that are even ridicolous (around 2.",
"15)!!!",
"Awful stuff!",
"The last tune \"Cruisin\" is a little bit better there is more melody and the things get better a little bit again.",
"But frankly I think that even if it is a short album it could even be shorter and noone would complain.",
"13 minutes shorter to say the least!",
"In the end 5 stars for the first two tunes, 3 and a half stars for the last song, and no stars for the 4th and fifth tunes that personally I find totally unbearable.",
"But we all know Al never recorded a true masterpiece from the first note to the last one.",
"He is very inconsistent as an artist.",
"Impressive guitarist, decent music writer but without a true, solid inspiration.",
"It's a shame because I still think he can do great things.",
"He's talented (for example I enjoy very much Passion Grace and Fire the album he recorded with McLaughlin and DeLucia and even Orange and Blue another album of his)...",
"so c'mon Al!"
] |
With Jak and Daxter, developer Naughty Dog basically retreads over the successes of their past, stopping only to make a few necessary tweaks that had been sorely lacking in similar titles in the past. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, because the platforming genre had by this time been hammered down to a few absolutely key elements that are necessary for such a title to be successful. At a glance, the game presents nothing all that noteworthy; a gratingly bubbly cartoonish cast, a story pulled right out of a coloring book, bright and shiny graphics to match, the existence of an occasional power-up, and a large cluster of bottomless pits. Make no mistake, if you cringe at the thought of spending a few days in front of a game that looks and speaks like something you'd expect to see on a Saturday morning cartoon, this is absolutely not the game for you. If you share a house with more than just a pet or two, your roommate(s), spouse(s) or family member(s) will be making fun of you. If you're at a point, spiritually and emotionally, where you can deal with that... there's a somewhat enjoyable little game buried underneath it all.
The storyline is easy to establish, short on dialogue and heavy on gameplay, and that's just about the extent of the good things I can say about it. The story is bare bones at best, establishing the good guys and the bad guys right off the bat, (the bad guys are the ones with tusks) introducing a conflict (the guys with tusks want to unleash chaos on the world) and a motivation, (Jak's buddy Daxter falls into a pit of mystery goo, transforming him into a furry critter) eventually unleashing you out onto the world to fight evil or some such nonsense. The characters themselves are just paper-thin and almost completely devoid of emotion or appeal.
Jak, the main character, (naturally) is conspicuous in his silence throughout the tale, leaving the majority of the speaking parts to the green sage (an elderly wizard who grants you a miniature nugget of motivation at the outset of each level) and Daxter, (the aforementioned furry sidekick, equipped with enough cheesy one liners to make Rodney Dangerfield spin wildly in his grave) both of whom are way, way over the top in the "flamboyant personality" department. Once in a while, the sage's daughter will pop in to share a new bit of technology or something, and as you visit new towns you'll meet a new character or two, but for the most part it's Daxter and the sage bouncing off of one another and Jak standing around to make confused or frustrated faces.
If you've played any of the post-SNES three dimensional platformers that preceded it, you've probably got a good handle on how Jak and Daxter feels. You've got an overhead camera dangling just behind you at all times, a couple very basic attacks, and the vital ability to jump. As you progress through the game, you'll discover different variations upon Jak's abilities as they're necessitated, such as the ability to somersault, to crouch, to double-jump and to long jump. What's cool is that these abilities aren't something you need to unlock... they're available right from the get-go, so there's a process of experimental discovery that makes you feel directly involved in Jak's progression as a character. On the other hand, the existence of these abilities and instructions on their use are never truly explained, so if you haven't discovered the long jump by the time Jak needs to clear a large canyon by his lonesome, you're in for a long, painful series of trials and errors.
Despite the occasional difficulty in explaining its own controls, the actual gameplay of Jak is largely a lot of fun. Obstacles are challenging without being frustrating, most of the puzzles are just difficult enough to whir your gears without forcing you to seek out a walkthrough in a moment of fury, and the boss fights are wholly entertaining. It makes good use of the power-ups, staggering them early to get you used to their intentions and then introducing them at just the right times as they become more and more important later in the game. It does have a few small hiccups that will continually bother a refined gamer by failing to function as designed at critical moments. For example, Jak doesn't always latch onto the corner of a ledge, Prince of Persia-style, like he's supposed to. Nine times out of ten, he'll perform the brave feat without hesitation, but it seems like the most important jumps are usually where he has the most trouble, slamming into the edge of a platform and then awkwardly vibrating for a moment before falling to his death. Likewise, the extremely touchy nature of the double-jump system also provides for its share of headaches.
Although I complained a bit earlier about the game's hesitancy to fully explain its control scheme, once you've experimented enough to actually discover all of the characters' possible actions, the full control scheme is really very basic and easy to grasp. The way some games map out their button setups, I wonder if they're expecting players to have an extra arm installed to make some certain actions possible (the Xbox release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas springs to mind.) Jak overcomes this potential flaw by keeping things extremely simple and never requiring the use of more than two or maybe three buttons at the same time, analog stick included. By limiting themselves to the R1 button, the four main control buttons (X,O,Triangle and Square) and the analogs, they ensure you never need to move a finger into an awkward position and allow you to really envelop yourself in the game.
I think I was expecting a bit more out of the graphics, since this was an early title for the PS2 and that's usually when developers are frothing at the mouth over the new hardware and going out of their way to show off everything it can do. The visuals of Jak and Daxter just feel like a marginal improvement over the visuals of Naughty Dog's PSone titles, and certainly didn't age well in the almost five years since it was released. Part of that is due to the cartoony direction taken by the art, but you can't blame the lumpy renderings of the sage's face when speaking or the distractingly simplistic appearance of most of the game's enemies on artistic decision. Some things, such as the distant skylines in the forest and the radiating glow of eco matter in the wild, are very well executed, but on the large this is no showpiece for the PS2's visual capabilities. Bluntly, if you're looking for an exceptional early graphical display on the PS2, keep looking.
Voice acting aside, I can't say much nicer things about the audio. I suppose it's of a higher quality than the tunes found on the old PSone, albeit not by much, but the compositions themselves are so aggravatingly bouncy, joyful and happy that if you aren't, in actuality, a Care Bear, you'll want to rip your hair out by the roots. While I'm not sure something like heavy metal or R&B would suit the feel of the game much better, I was expecting something a little more contemporary and interesting, considering the marketing that announced the game's launch (remember the commercials with the title characters reclining, poolside, with a cluster of bikini-clad young ladies? Yeah, I don't think they were aiming those at the 7-10 year old market.) The voice acting is sound, for the most part, with a few performances standing out above the others. The dark sage's voice perfectly matches his demeanor and appearance, while the green sage really feels like an old man tired of the world that surrounds him, but determined to aid in its resuscitation, all the same. On the other side of the coin, bad voice acting isn't exactly missing, either, and the dialog is so bad that even the competent actors have trouble making their lines come to life.
When stripped down to its very basics, Jak and Daxter is an entertaining play. While there isn't anything the actual gameplay does badly, nit-picky flaws aside, there's also nothing that it really excels at. It's a good next-gen translation of an already-enjoyable system of mechanics, controls and direction, basically reading the map drawn by its forefathers and following it to the gold buried at the end. If it weren't for the abysmal storytelling, the hot and cold voice acting and the sub par graphics and sound, this would probably be deserving of a score well above average, that map is so well-drawn. Unfortunately, I can't honestly say that those factors don't affect my opinion of the disc itself, and they drag my score down by quite a bit. If you can shut your brain off or go to make a sandwich during the speaking parts and accept the visuals for what they are, you'll really enjoy this one. For those of us looking for a complete package, prepare to be somewhat disappointed. | 1 | neutral | [
"With Jak and Daxter, developer Naughty Dog basically retreads over the successes of their past, stopping only to make a few necessary tweaks that had been sorely lacking in similar titles in the past.",
"And that's not necessarily a bad thing, because the platforming genre had by this time been hammered down to a few absolutely key elements that are necessary for such a title to be successful.",
"At a glance, the game presents nothing all that noteworthy; a gratingly bubbly cartoonish cast, a story pulled right out of a coloring book, bright and shiny graphics to match, the existence of an occasional power-up, and a large cluster of bottomless pits.",
"Make no mistake, if you cringe at the thought of spending a few days in front of a game that looks and speaks like something you'd expect to see on a Saturday morning cartoon, this is absolutely not the game for you.",
"If you share a house with more than just a pet or two, your roommate(s), spouse(s) or family member(s) will be making fun of you.",
"If you're at a point, spiritually and emotionally, where you can deal with that...",
"there's a somewhat enjoyable little game buried underneath it all.",
"The storyline is easy to establish, short on dialogue and heavy on gameplay, and that's just about the extent of the good things I can say about it.",
"The story is bare bones at best, establishing the good guys and the bad guys right off the bat, (the bad guys are the ones with tusks) introducing a conflict (the guys with tusks want to unleash chaos on the world) and a motivation, (Jak's buddy Daxter falls into a pit of mystery goo, transforming him into a furry critter) eventually unleashing you out onto the world to fight evil or some such nonsense.",
"The characters themselves are just paper-thin and almost completely devoid of emotion or appeal.",
"Jak, the main character, (naturally) is conspicuous in his silence throughout the tale, leaving the majority of the speaking parts to the green sage (an elderly wizard who grants you a miniature nugget of motivation at the outset of each level) and Daxter, (the aforementioned furry sidekick, equipped with enough cheesy one liners to make Rodney Dangerfield spin wildly in his grave) both of whom are way, way over the top in the \"flamboyant personality\" department.",
"Once in a while, the sage's daughter will pop in to share a new bit of technology or something, and as you visit new towns you'll meet a new character or two, but for the most part it's Daxter and the sage bouncing off of one another and Jak standing around to make confused or frustrated faces.",
"If you've played any of the post-SNES three dimensional platformers that preceded it, you've probably got a good handle on how Jak and Daxter feels.",
"You've got an overhead camera dangling just behind you at all times, a couple very basic attacks, and the vital ability to jump.",
"As you progress through the game, you'll discover different variations upon Jak's abilities as they're necessitated, such as the ability to somersault, to crouch, to double-jump and to long jump.",
"What's cool is that these abilities aren't something you need to unlock...",
"they're available right from the get-go, so there's a process of experimental discovery that makes you feel directly involved in Jak's progression as a character.",
"On the other hand, the existence of these abilities and instructions on their use are never truly explained, so if you haven't discovered the long jump by the time Jak needs to clear a large canyon by his lonesome, you're in for a long, painful series of trials and errors.",
"Despite the occasional difficulty in explaining its own controls, the actual gameplay of Jak is largely a lot of fun.",
"Obstacles are challenging without being frustrating, most of the puzzles are just difficult enough to whir your gears without forcing you to seek out a walkthrough in a moment of fury, and the boss fights are wholly entertaining.",
"It makes good use of the power-ups, staggering them early to get you used to their intentions and then introducing them at just the right times as they become more and more important later in the game.",
"It does have a few small hiccups that will continually bother a refined gamer by failing to function as designed at critical moments.",
"For example, Jak doesn't always latch onto the corner of a ledge, Prince of Persia-style, like he's supposed to.",
"Nine times out of ten, he'll perform the brave feat without hesitation, but it seems like the most important jumps are usually where he has the most trouble, slamming into the edge of a platform and then awkwardly vibrating for a moment before falling to his death.",
"Likewise, the extremely touchy nature of the double-jump system also provides for its share of headaches.",
"Although I complained a bit earlier about the game's hesitancy to fully explain its control scheme, once you've experimented enough to actually discover all of the characters' possible actions, the full control scheme is really very basic and easy to grasp.",
"The way some games map out their button setups, I wonder if they're expecting players to have an extra arm installed to make some certain actions possible (the Xbox release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas springs to mind.",
") Jak overcomes this potential flaw by keeping things extremely simple and never requiring the use of more than two or maybe three buttons at the same time, analog stick included.",
"By limiting themselves to the R1 button, the four main control buttons (X,O,Triangle and Square) and the analogs, they ensure you never need to move a finger into an awkward position and allow you to really envelop yourself in the game.",
"I think I was expecting a bit more out of the graphics, since this was an early title for the PS2 and that's usually when developers are frothing at the mouth over the new hardware and going out of their way to show off everything it can do.",
"The visuals of Jak and Daxter just feel like a marginal improvement over the visuals of Naughty Dog's PSone titles, and certainly didn't age well in the almost five years since it was released.",
"Part of that is due to the cartoony direction taken by the art, but you can't blame the lumpy renderings of the sage's face when speaking or the distractingly simplistic appearance of most of the game's enemies on artistic decision.",
"Some things, such as the distant skylines in the forest and the radiating glow of eco matter in the wild, are very well executed, but on the large this is no showpiece for the PS2's visual capabilities.",
"Bluntly, if you're looking for an exceptional early graphical display on the PS2, keep looking.",
"Voice acting aside, I can't say much nicer things about the audio.",
"I suppose it's of a higher quality than the tunes found on the old PSone, albeit not by much, but the compositions themselves are so aggravatingly bouncy, joyful and happy that if you aren't, in actuality, a Care Bear, you'll want to rip your hair out by the roots.",
"While I'm not sure something like heavy metal or R&B would suit the feel of the game much better, I was expecting something a little more contemporary and interesting, considering the marketing that announced the game's launch (remember the commercials with the title characters reclining, poolside, with a cluster of bikini-clad young ladies?",
"Yeah, I don't think they were aiming those at the 7-10 year old market.",
") The voice acting is sound, for the most part, with a few performances standing out above the others.",
"The dark sage's voice perfectly matches his demeanor and appearance, while the green sage really feels like an old man tired of the world that surrounds him, but determined to aid in its resuscitation, all the same.",
"On the other side of the coin, bad voice acting isn't exactly missing, either, and the dialog is so bad that even the competent actors have trouble making their lines come to life.",
"When stripped down to its very basics, Jak and Daxter is an entertaining play.",
"While there isn't anything the actual gameplay does badly, nit-picky flaws aside, there's also nothing that it really excels at.",
"It's a good next-gen translation of an already-enjoyable system of mechanics, controls and direction, basically reading the map drawn by its forefathers and following it to the gold buried at the end.",
"If it weren't for the abysmal storytelling, the hot and cold voice acting and the sub par graphics and sound, this would probably be deserving of a score well above average, that map is so well-drawn.",
"Unfortunately, I can't honestly say that those factors don't affect my opinion of the disc itself, and they drag my score down by quite a bit.",
"If you can shut your brain off or go to make a sandwich during the speaking parts and accept the visuals for what they are, you'll really enjoy this one.",
"For those of us looking for a complete package, prepare to be somewhat disappointed."
] |
This cassette adaptor couldn't be easier to use for playing music through car or stereo speakers. Cut the adaptor out of its plastic packing, stick it into a cassette deck, plug it into the headphone jack of your portable music player, and, voilà, music. It's really as simple as that. The adaptor requires no assembly or adjustments to work perfectly right out of the box.
This device works only with cassette decks that load with the tape to one side (not front loading), as the cable that connects to your portable device comes out of a short side, so check your cassette deck before purchasing this. The best part is that it works silently, allowing your music to sound as clear as it should. You can adjust the sound through your stereo or through the portable device itself.
I've used this both with a regular iPod and an iPod mini with great success. It's much better (and cheaper) than buying one of the FM stereo broadcasting devices because it's never dependent upon available airwaves and never needs re-tuning as you move from one radio zone to another.
Highly recommended if you plan on listening to digital music in the car. As long as your car has the correct kind of cassette deck and your portable device has a standard headphone jack, it will work without a hitch.
Update to review, several months later: This adaptor started making a clicking sound, and occasionally makes a terrifying electronic buzz that nearly scares me into accidents. It did spend the winter in the car, although my garage never gets below freezing. Unfortunately, I can't tell if this noise problem is because of my old car stereo or because of some electronic defect in the adaptor that cropped up after heavy use.
UPDATE: When I first wrote this review, reviewers were not allowed to edit the number of stars, so this remained a five-star review until today. Although I no longer use this product, it worked great for several months (five stars), but then developed the noise noted above (1 star). I gave it an average of three stars. | 1 | neutral | [
"This cassette adaptor couldn't be easier to use for playing music through car or stereo speakers.",
"Cut the adaptor out of its plastic packing, stick it into a cassette deck, plug it into the headphone jack of your portable music player, and, voilà, music.",
"It's really as simple as that.",
"The adaptor requires no assembly or adjustments to work perfectly right out of the box.",
"This device works only with cassette decks that load with the tape to one side (not front loading), as the cable that connects to your portable device comes out of a short side, so check your cassette deck before purchasing this.",
"The best part is that it works silently, allowing your music to sound as clear as it should.",
"You can adjust the sound through your stereo or through the portable device itself.",
"I've used this both with a regular iPod and an iPod mini with great success.",
"It's much better (and cheaper) than buying one of the FM stereo broadcasting devices because it's never dependent upon available airwaves and never needs re-tuning as you move from one radio zone to another.",
"Highly recommended if you plan on listening to digital music in the car.",
"As long as your car has the correct kind of cassette deck and your portable device has a standard headphone jack, it will work without a hitch.",
"Update to review, several months later: This adaptor started making a clicking sound, and occasionally makes a terrifying electronic buzz that nearly scares me into accidents.",
"It did spend the winter in the car, although my garage never gets below freezing.",
"Unfortunately, I can't tell if this noise problem is because of my old car stereo or because of some electronic defect in the adaptor that cropped up after heavy use.",
"UPDATE: When I first wrote this review, reviewers were not allowed to edit the number of stars, so this remained a five-star review until today.",
"Although I no longer use this product, it worked great for several months (five stars), but then developed the noise noted above (1 star).",
"I gave it an average of three stars."
] |
This is the third string trimmer I've owned. I've never owned a true high quality one though. I've heard rumor of ones that are easier to use. Not that this one is hard to use. It's that I've never experienced ones with a nice reliable no BS string feed and this one is no different. I also don't know that the dual string action really gains me anything.
Anyways, it spins, it knocks down grass, and does light trimming. The string usually feeds OK, but then it doesn't. Just like the rest of 'em. Maybe the thicker string lasts longer, maybe learning to not try trimming rocks, bricks, and concrete is what makes the difference. Who knows.
Regarding the folks who got nicked and whipped while barefoot or sandled or whatever. Duhhh! No tool is idiot proof. Are they going to complain about bacon because it spatters hot grease onto their bare torsos?
Anyways, why only three stars for a tool that operates as expected? Well, I thought I was buying my way into not having to mess around with the string feeder a couple times per trimming session. Not so. At least the price has dropped (a lot) since when I bought my unit. | 1 | neutral | [
"This is the third string trimmer I've owned.",
"I've never owned a true high quality one though.",
"I've heard rumor of ones that are easier to use.",
"Not that this one is hard to use.",
"It's that I've never experienced ones with a nice reliable no BS string feed and this one is no different.",
"I also don't know that the dual string action really gains me anything.",
"Anyways, it spins, it knocks down grass, and does light trimming.",
"The string usually feeds OK, but then it doesn't.",
"Just like the rest of 'em.",
"Maybe the thicker string lasts longer, maybe learning to not try trimming rocks, bricks, and concrete is what makes the difference.",
"Who knows.",
"Regarding the folks who got nicked and whipped while barefoot or sandled or whatever.",
"Duhhh!",
"No tool is idiot proof.",
"Are they going to complain about bacon because it spatters hot grease onto their bare torsos?",
"Anyways, why only three stars for a tool that operates as expected?",
"Well, I thought I was buying my way into not having to mess around with the string feeder a couple times per trimming session.",
"Not so.",
"At least the price has dropped (a lot) since when I bought my unit."
] |
I really like having the hands-free benefit of using a bluetooth headset. This set is comfortable and lightweight. I can hear extremely well but the person I'm speaking to says I sound like I'm in a box. Also found that walking away from the phone, even 15 feet, would cause static and loss of signal. I like the fit of the phone and it is easy to use and set up. Easy to answer the phone and to adjust volume. I read all the reviews before purchasing this set and they were favorable. Maybe I missed the one about the sound and the loss of signal. This is the reason I am taking the time to write a review. They are extremely useful if honest. Since I had not used a bluetooth wireless headset before, I found myself trying to answer the phone when it rang and when the headset was on. Kept saying "hello" "hello" until I realized I had to use the headset. DUH!!!! | 1 | neutral | [
"I really like having the hands-free benefit of using a bluetooth headset.",
"This set is comfortable and lightweight.",
"I can hear extremely well but the person I'm speaking to says I sound like I'm in a box.",
"Also found that walking away from the phone, even 15 feet, would cause static and loss of signal.",
"I like the fit of the phone and it is easy to use and set up.",
"Easy to answer the phone and to adjust volume.",
"I read all the reviews before purchasing this set and they were favorable.",
"Maybe I missed the one about the sound and the loss of signal.",
"This is the reason I am taking the time to write a review.",
"They are extremely useful if honest.",
"Since I had not used a bluetooth wireless headset before, I found myself trying to answer the phone when it rang and when the headset was on.",
"Kept saying \"hello\" \"hello\" until I realized I had to use the headset.",
"DUH!!!!"
] |
This are your standard tab dividers, the lightweight paper with minimal reinforcement at the edges. They are pretty much standard and should hold up for a semester or two, but are not meant for long term usage. If you want something more permanent (and pricey) you may wish to consider the <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wilson-Jones-View-Tab-Transparent-Dividers/dp/B00006ICF7/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wilson Jones View-Tab Transparent Dividers</a>.
I do like the fact that there are eight layered dividers as opposed to the standard five or six. These aren't on card stock, but rather heavy paper. For example, if I wanted I could fold and crease the entire package. They are decent, but not great. One plus is that they are now an Amazon Add-on, a real plus in my book.
FEATURES:
Classic style, insertable dividers are made of durable paper with plastic tabs
Double reinforced binding edge and reinforced tabs make these dividers long-lasting and durable
Blank inserts are included for custom tab titles
For use with letter size sheets
Set of 8 tabbed dividers; colored tabs are transparent for easy color-coding and readability
WILSON JONES:
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wilson-Jones-WorkStyle-Erasable-Tab-Index-Dividers/dp/B004HY63Z6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wilson Jones WorkStyle Erasable-Tab Index Dividers</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wilson-Jones-Cut-and-Sewn-Binder-Round-Rings/dp/B004HYBIU6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wilson Jones Cut and Sewn Binder, Round Rings</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wilson-Jones-WorkStyle-Cut-and-Sewn-Round-Ring-Binder/dp/B0033UPQ9Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wilson Jones WorkStyle Cut and Sewn Round Ring Binder</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wilson-Jones-Minute-Book-Bound-Locking-Spine/dp/B004L3YVP2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wilson Jones Minute Book, Bound, Locking Spine</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wilson-Jones-Ring-Ledger-Sheets-5-x-8-5-Inches/dp/B001Q4JMBC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wilson Jones Ring Ledger Sheets, 5 x 8.5 Inches</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wilson-Jones-362-Basic-Round-Ring-View-Binder/dp/B0001J3R3C/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wilson Jones 362 Basic Round Ring View Binder</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wilson-Jones-ColumnWrite-Columnar-Pad/dp/B000087LHM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wilson Jones ColumnWrite Columnar Pad</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wilson-Jones-812-Telephone-Address-Book-Round-Ring/dp/B00006IEPY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wilson Jones 812 Telephone Address Book, Round Ring</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wilson-Jones-Ring-Ledger-Binder-1-Inch-Capacity-5-5-x-8-5-Inch-Size-Blue/dp/B004HY9ILM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wilson Jones Ring Ledger Binder, 1 Inch Capacity, 5.5 x 8.5 Inch Size, Blue</a> | 1 | neutral | [
"This are your standard tab dividers, the lightweight paper with minimal reinforcement at the edges.",
"They are pretty much standard and should hold up for a semester or two, but are not meant for long term usage.",
"If you want something more permanent (and pricey) you may wish to consider the <a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/Wilson-Jones-View-Tab-Transparent-Dividers/dp/B00006ICF7/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">Wilson Jones View-Tab Transparent Dividers</a>.",
"I do like the fact that there are eight layered dividers as opposed to the standard five or six.",
"These aren't on card stock, but rather heavy paper.",
"For example, if I wanted I could fold and crease the entire package.",
"They are decent, but not great.",
"One plus is that they are now an Amazon Add-on, a real plus in my book.",
"FEATURES:\n\n Classic style, insertable dividers are made of durable paper with plastic tabs\n Double reinforced binding edge and reinforced tabs make these dividers long-lasting and durable\n Blank inserts are included for custom tab titles\n For use with letter size sheets\n Set of 8 tabbed dividers; colored tabs are transparent for easy color-coding and readability\n\nWILSON JONES:\n\n<a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/Wilson-Jones-WorkStyle-Erasable-Tab-Index-Dividers/dp/B004HY63Z6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">Wilson Jones WorkStyle Erasable-Tab Index Dividers</a>\n\n<a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/Wilson-Jones-Cut-and-Sewn-Binder-Round-Rings/dp/B004HYBIU6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">Wilson Jones Cut and Sewn Binder, Round Rings</a>\n\n<a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/Wilson-Jones-WorkStyle-Cut-and-Sewn-Round-Ring-Binder/dp/B0033UPQ9Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">Wilson Jones WorkStyle Cut and Sewn Round Ring Binder</a>\n\n<a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/Wilson-Jones-Minute-Book-Bound-Locking-Spine/dp/B004L3YVP2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">Wilson Jones Minute Book, Bound, Locking Spine</a>\n\n<a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/Wilson-Jones-Ring-Ledger-Sheets-5-x-8-5-Inches/dp/B001Q4JMBC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">Wilson Jones Ring Ledger Sheets, 5 x 8.",
"5 Inches</a>\n\n<a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/Wilson-Jones-362-Basic-Round-Ring-View-Binder/dp/B0001J3R3C/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">Wilson Jones 362 Basic Round Ring View Binder</a>\n\n<a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/Wilson-Jones-ColumnWrite-Columnar-Pad/dp/B000087LHM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">Wilson Jones ColumnWrite Columnar Pad</a>\n\n<a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/Wilson-Jones-812-Telephone-Address-Book-Round-Ring/dp/B00006IEPY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">Wilson Jones 812 Telephone Address Book, Round Ring</a>\n\n<a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/Wilson-Jones-Ring-Ledger-Binder-1-Inch-Capacity-5-5-x-8-5-Inch-Size-Blue/dp/B004HY9ILM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">Wilson Jones Ring Ledger Binder, 1 Inch Capacity, 5.",
"5 x 8.",
"5 Inch Size, Blue</a>"
] |
Unlike wines, Jedi Outcast was probably better appreciated when it first came out back in 2002. I played it for the first time this year and while it was fun I can't say I love it. If anything, I enjoyed it mostly because it gave me a nostalgia trip for the original Dark Forces game, which was one of my first computer games back in 1996.
Jedi Outcast looks and feels dated even though it's been less than a decade. Yes, games age, but even games like KOTOR and Rogue Squadron, which came out around the same time, still look and feel great. By contrast, the graphics in Jedi Outcast just look blocky and flat. The locations are generic. There are even some familiar locales, like Bespin, but you're pretty much stuck in a bunch of rooms that look no different from the Imperial ship later in the game (compare that to the Bespin in the Force Unleashed Wii games, which actually does look like Bespin).
However, what really frustrated me was the gameplay. The lightsaber combat is uneven and unwieldy. Jumping isn't very precise, which is a big problem because Jedi Outcast thinks it's a platforming game. You often have to make precise jumps onto narrow ledges. This led to no small amount of frustration.
I'm not sure why some people rave about the story. The story is pretty rote - the princess (Jan Ors) gets captured, and the hero (Kyle Katarn) has to go find his sword (lightsaber), track down the evil king (Dark Lord Desann), and rescue her. You don't have any choice in the story or outcomes. Even worse, some of the movie characters act out of character. Luke Skywalker seemingly has no problem with Kyle going out looking for revenge against Desann. Lando
Perhaps I've just been spoilt by recent games like the Force Unleashed and KOTOR and Rogue Squadron, which have great graphics, controls, and stories. I'm glad I tried Jedi Outcast just to see what ever happened to Kyle. I loved shooting Stormtroopers Dark Forces style. But with so many great Star Wars games out there, this one should probably be pretty low on your list.
- Enjolras | 1 | neutral | [
"Unlike wines, Jedi Outcast was probably better appreciated when it first came out back in 2002.",
"I played it for the first time this year and while it was fun I can't say I love it.",
"If anything, I enjoyed it mostly because it gave me a nostalgia trip for the original Dark Forces game, which was one of my first computer games back in 1996.",
"Jedi Outcast looks and feels dated even though it's been less than a decade.",
"Yes, games age, but even games like KOTOR and Rogue Squadron, which came out around the same time, still look and feel great.",
"By contrast, the graphics in Jedi Outcast just look blocky and flat.",
"The locations are generic.",
"There are even some familiar locales, like Bespin, but you're pretty much stuck in a bunch of rooms that look no different from the Imperial ship later in the game (compare that to the Bespin in the Force Unleashed Wii games, which actually does look like Bespin).",
"However, what really frustrated me was the gameplay.",
"The lightsaber combat is uneven and unwieldy.",
"Jumping isn't very precise, which is a big problem because Jedi Outcast thinks it's a platforming game.",
"You often have to make precise jumps onto narrow ledges.",
"This led to no small amount of frustration.",
"I'm not sure why some people rave about the story.",
"The story is pretty rote - the princess (Jan Ors) gets captured, and the hero (Kyle Katarn) has to go find his sword (lightsaber), track down the evil king (Dark Lord Desann), and rescue her.",
"You don't have any choice in the story or outcomes.",
"Even worse, some of the movie characters act out of character.",
"Luke Skywalker seemingly has no problem with Kyle going out looking for revenge against Desann.",
"Lando\n\nPerhaps I've just been spoilt by recent games like the Force Unleashed and KOTOR and Rogue Squadron, which have great graphics, controls, and stories.",
"I'm glad I tried Jedi Outcast just to see what ever happened to Kyle.",
"I loved shooting Stormtroopers Dark Forces style.",
"But with so many great Star Wars games out there, this one should probably be pretty low on your list.",
"- Enjolras"
] |
Karajan recorded the complete cycle of Beethovens 9 symphonies no less than three times: first, in the early sixties, next in the mid seventies and finally in the mid eighties, this recording. Karajan was always at the cutting edge of recording techniques. It was only natural for him to be among the first to embrace the new digital technology, that was the basis of the compact disc - incidentally, his "Zauberflte" (Mozart) became the first DDD recording to be released on CD by the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. One of the main reasons for Karajan to do no less than three cycles of Beethoven-symphonies was his desire to leave a state-of-the-art legacy on record (or CD), and as he died in 1989, it became a race against time. It is potentially interesting to be able to view the approach to these hallmark works by the same conductor at three stages of his career. Sadly, it is all too obvious that Karajan had nothing to add to the previous cycles. The only advantage is the polished, deluxe sound that comes from the all-digital DDD recording techniques. The music-making itself has an almost rheumatic quality to it - Karajan's approach to Beethoven was always a rather dry, polished one, far from that of his predecessor as "conductor-in-chief" of the BPO, Wilhelm Furtwngler. At this advanced stage of his career, there was hardly anything left but the polished sound and the precise conducting - no joy or life. This is not to say that Karajan wasn't a great conductor. To my mind, he was perhaps the greatest, also as a conductor of Beethoven. But get the recordings he made during the sixties and early seventies, which, I believe was his best period. Many of those recordings - and there are LOTS of them - are available on disc under the "Originals" label by DGG. | 1 | neutral | [
"Karajan recorded the complete cycle of Beethovens 9 symphonies no less than three times: first, in the early sixties, next in the mid seventies and finally in the mid eighties, this recording.",
"Karajan was always at the cutting edge of recording techniques.",
"It was only natural for him to be among the first to embrace the new digital technology, that was the basis of the compact disc - incidentally, his \"Zauberflte\" (Mozart) became the first DDD recording to be released on CD by the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft.",
"One of the main reasons for Karajan to do no less than three cycles of Beethoven-symphonies was his desire to leave a state-of-the-art legacy on record (or CD), and as he died in 1989, it became a race against time.",
"It is potentially interesting to be able to view the approach to these hallmark works by the same conductor at three stages of his career.",
"Sadly, it is all too obvious that Karajan had nothing to add to the previous cycles.",
"The only advantage is the polished, deluxe sound that comes from the all-digital DDD recording techniques.",
"The music-making itself has an almost rheumatic quality to it - Karajan's approach to Beethoven was always a rather dry, polished one, far from that of his predecessor as \"conductor-in-chief\" of the BPO, Wilhelm Furtwngler.",
"At this advanced stage of his career, there was hardly anything left but the polished sound and the precise conducting - no joy or life.",
"This is not to say that Karajan wasn't a great conductor.",
"To my mind, he was perhaps the greatest, also as a conductor of Beethoven.",
"But get the recordings he made during the sixties and early seventies, which, I believe was his best period.",
"Many of those recordings - and there are LOTS of them - are available on disc under the \"Originals\" label by DGG."
] |
In the translators' introduction, Grossman, a Jewish-Soviet writer and journalist, is compared to Tolstoy. At times, his book reads as if he went to school studying how to be Tolstoy. The results are uneven. Grossman is at his best when he talks about a. The beauty of his native Russia. b. The intolerable hardships ordinary citizens experienced during World War II; c. The Battle of Stalingrad. Also when he describes and denounces the Stalinist system in the name of the individual and his freedom.
He is at his worst when he portrays his characters--which, unlike those of the greatest writers, hardly evolve as the story unfolds. Another weakness is that he consistently traces the horrors of the Soviet regime to Stalin, whereas in fact they were already created by Lenin. Yet another is that, though he does know some German, he is not very familiar with the history of the Third Reich. Possibly that was because, at the time he wrote the book around 1960, his access to material about that subject was limited. Consequently he makes mistakes--for example, by placing an extermination camp in Germany, where there were none.
It must be said that the book gets better towards the end. All in all, worth reading. | 1 | neutral | [
"In the translators' introduction, Grossman, a Jewish-Soviet writer and journalist, is compared to Tolstoy.",
"At times, his book reads as if he went to school studying how to be Tolstoy.",
"The results are uneven.",
"Grossman is at his best when he talks about a.",
"The beauty of his native Russia.",
"b.",
"The intolerable hardships ordinary citizens experienced during World War II; c.",
"The Battle of Stalingrad.",
"Also when he describes and denounces the Stalinist system in the name of the individual and his freedom.",
"He is at his worst when he portrays his characters--which, unlike those of the greatest writers, hardly evolve as the story unfolds.",
"Another weakness is that he consistently traces the horrors of the Soviet regime to Stalin, whereas in fact they were already created by Lenin.",
"Yet another is that, though he does know some German, he is not very familiar with the history of the Third Reich.",
"Possibly that was because, at the time he wrote the book around 1960, his access to material about that subject was limited.",
"Consequently he makes mistakes--for example, by placing an extermination camp in Germany, where there were none.",
"It must be said that the book gets better towards the end.",
"All in all, worth reading."
] |
For months I would use the gps on my phone but had trouble with the phone sliding everywhere. Decided to get the docking station and I really love it! (Especially now that I added the Vlingo app) My only complaint is that I have yet to figure out how to keep the phone from going into the car dock mode. I use Waze gps instead of the Google Navigator and I have to exit out the docking mode before doing anything else. It probably isn't a product problem but more of a setting but again, I can not figure out how to get this to stop. The only other problem is that if I have the cable connected to charge it then the audio cable has a bad feed back sound. Again, this is not a problem with the dock but I wanted to bring it up for anyone interested in buying it.
This has a dash mount included but I use the window mount instead. It's a nice tight fit and I've only had it fall once. You can adjust the phone to be in landscape or portrait and anything in between.
As others have mentioned, it took a while to get the phone out of the mount without using both hands. I'm used to it now so I can easily remove it with one hand when needed. I really like this car mount dock and would recommend it to anyone with the Thunderbolt.
UPDATE July 2012: I do not recommend using this product in the summer months. It gets very, very hot when mounted in the windshield. I have had my phone overheat and shut completely down because of the temperature. I have tried mounting it in different positions on the front of my dash (closer to the AC) but since most of my dash is either vinyl or leather - it, of course, does not stay attached. If you live in an environment that does not get as hot as our Texas summers it may work ok for you. I dropped it from 4 to 3 stars since I can only use it for part of the year. | 1 | neutral | [
"For months I would use the gps on my phone but had trouble with the phone sliding everywhere.",
"Decided to get the docking station and I really love it!",
"(Especially now that I added the Vlingo app) My only complaint is that I have yet to figure out how to keep the phone from going into the car dock mode.",
"I use Waze gps instead of the Google Navigator and I have to exit out the docking mode before doing anything else.",
"It probably isn't a product problem but more of a setting but again, I can not figure out how to get this to stop.",
"The only other problem is that if I have the cable connected to charge it then the audio cable has a bad feed back sound.",
"Again, this is not a problem with the dock but I wanted to bring it up for anyone interested in buying it.",
"This has a dash mount included but I use the window mount instead.",
"It's a nice tight fit and I've only had it fall once.",
"You can adjust the phone to be in landscape or portrait and anything in between.",
"As others have mentioned, it took a while to get the phone out of the mount without using both hands.",
"I'm used to it now so I can easily remove it with one hand when needed.",
"I really like this car mount dock and would recommend it to anyone with the Thunderbolt.",
"UPDATE July 2012: I do not recommend using this product in the summer months.",
"It gets very, very hot when mounted in the windshield.",
"I have had my phone overheat and shut completely down because of the temperature.",
"I have tried mounting it in different positions on the front of my dash (closer to the AC) but since most of my dash is either vinyl or leather - it, of course, does not stay attached.",
"If you live in an environment that does not get as hot as our Texas summers it may work ok for you.",
"I dropped it from 4 to 3 stars since I can only use it for part of the year."
] |
I love my Bosch Jigsaw, the blades included with this kit are outstanding. Overly robust to prevent bending. really nice.
But I'm not impressed.
The case is Ok, not great... There's 6 different blades, but only four slots in case, easily mixed up and need to sort (bad).
The case is is about 1.75" longer than the longest blade, ok, but put some dividers in so we can store other items without getting cut or scratched.
Finally, the clear covers are a good idea, but the closures are too tight, when opened everything jumps and flies around, another annoyance.
I'm kinda picky when it comes to organization items; fit and correct sizing are key. This misses the mark. better off with the DeWalt yellow case and these blades. | 1 | neutral | [
"I love my Bosch Jigsaw, the blades included with this kit are outstanding.",
"Overly robust to prevent bending.",
"really nice.",
"But I'm not impressed.",
"The case is Ok, not great...",
"There's 6 different blades, but only four slots in case, easily mixed up and need to sort (bad).",
"The case is is about 1.",
"75\" longer than the longest blade, ok, but put some dividers in so we can store other items without getting cut or scratched.",
"Finally, the clear covers are a good idea, but the closures are too tight, when opened everything jumps and flies around, another annoyance.",
"I'm kinda picky when it comes to organization items; fit and correct sizing are key.",
"This misses the mark.",
"better off with the DeWalt yellow case and these blades."
] |
Ehhh I rate it a 3 for the flavor, I would give it a 4.5 for it being organic (seriously...ingredient list: Pasta, Cheddar Cheese) and a nice alternative to Kraft, but I wouldn't be able to stomach eating another box of this. The cheese flavor tastes exactly like you'd imagine cheddar cheese powder. The overall texture is gritty like another reviewer mentioned. I whisked the sauce to a smooth consistency but I still get the odd crunch and it's disconcerting. I added butter for a richer flavor, can't imagine how bland this would taste without it. Yuck. Being raised on Kraft, I prefer the blue box to this, but if you want an alternative to Kraft to raise your kids on, this would work just fine. It's one of the better tasting organic mac n cheese dinners out there. | 1 | neutral | [
"Ehhh I rate it a 3 for the flavor, I would give it a 4.",
"5 for it being organic (seriously...",
"ingredient list: Pasta, Cheddar Cheese) and a nice alternative to Kraft, but I wouldn't be able to stomach eating another box of this.",
"The cheese flavor tastes exactly like you'd imagine cheddar cheese powder.",
"The overall texture is gritty like another reviewer mentioned.",
"I whisked the sauce to a smooth consistency but I still get the odd crunch and it's disconcerting.",
"I added butter for a richer flavor, can't imagine how bland this would taste without it.",
"Yuck.",
"Being raised on Kraft, I prefer the blue box to this, but if you want an alternative to Kraft to raise your kids on, this would work just fine.",
"It's one of the better tasting organic mac n cheese dinners out there."
] |
These heating mats get really hot so you really need to read the instructions. It WILL heat glass WAY over the safe level of snakes and burn or kill the animal. I found it impossible to get the temp of the actual surface my snake can burrow down to to a safe level with the mat installed exactly as directed without a rheostat. The mfg cautions you to put down a liner over the glass but that still wasn't enough to reduce the surface temp to the 81 degrees needed by my snake. The problem with relying on a rheostat is that if the rheostat fails, my snake could cook to death. Snakes don't have the same pain receptors we do. My "solution" was to carefully remove the heat mat from the terrarium, raise my terrarium up on with 2 lengths of 2 x 4 boards and lay the mat under the terrarium on the wire top of my stand. The larger air gap and no direct contact allows the mat to radiate heat rather than transfer it directly to the glass. This way is much safer. I saw a you tube vid where a lady with decades of experience recommended this and it does seem to be working well. I've checked the surface temp with an IR thermometer repeatedly through a few days. The rheostat I am using still allows me to dial the heat back more when the summer time house temps are higher. | 1 | neutral | [
"These heating mats get really hot so you really need to read the instructions.",
"It WILL heat glass WAY over the safe level of snakes and burn or kill the animal.",
"I found it impossible to get the temp of the actual surface my snake can burrow down to to a safe level with the mat installed exactly as directed without a rheostat.",
"The mfg cautions you to put down a liner over the glass but that still wasn't enough to reduce the surface temp to the 81 degrees needed by my snake.",
"The problem with relying on a rheostat is that if the rheostat fails, my snake could cook to death.",
"Snakes don't have the same pain receptors we do.",
"My \"solution\" was to carefully remove the heat mat from the terrarium, raise my terrarium up on with 2 lengths of 2 x 4 boards and lay the mat under the terrarium on the wire top of my stand.",
"The larger air gap and no direct contact allows the mat to radiate heat rather than transfer it directly to the glass.",
"This way is much safer.",
"I saw a you tube vid where a lady with decades of experience recommended this and it does seem to be working well.",
"I've checked the surface temp with an IR thermometer repeatedly through a few days.",
"The rheostat I am using still allows me to dial the heat back more when the summer time house temps are higher."
] |
Co-founder of Id Software and technical director of DOOM3, John Carmack, is famous for once saying to Commander Keen creator, Tom Hall, during the development of the first DOOM ", Story in a game is like story in a porno. It's not important but it's expected to be there."
A quote which pretty much explains Id Software's output since the departure of that other co-founder, John Romero. The original formula which put Id software on the map with their classics, Wolfenstein 3D and DOOM was that Carmack would make a killer engine that broke the boundaries of technology and Romero would put a killer design over it.
Unfortunately it's clear with the creations of Quake 2 and 3 and now DOOM III that the remaining designers of Id Software are getting tired of doing space marine first person shooters. Why? Well the story is very tame and it seems to be made around all the familiar clichs of the genre and it looks like they're trying to jam all these concepts into the design like the PDA so it doesn't feel like just another fps to them. It doesn't quite gel out and slows the game down.
The real reason why DOOM3 will get praised (And deservedly so) is because of Carmack's game engine, which is just incredible and top of the line. The graphics, the psychics and the detail to lighting in DOOM3 is amazing, even if the levels are a tad too dark, there is no denying the amazing movement and design of the monsters and characters in relation to the scenery around them.
But alas, the only good thing that can come out of DOOM3 is that many new great games can now be made with hyper photo realistic graphics now improving the environment in which we'll play. Beside that though, DOOM3 as a game is a great experience but draining after a while. | 1 | neutral | [
"Co-founder of Id Software and technical director of DOOM3, John Carmack, is famous for once saying to Commander Keen creator, Tom Hall, during the development of the first DOOM \", Story in a game is like story in a porno.",
"It's not important but it's expected to be there.",
"\"\n\nA quote which pretty much explains Id Software's output since the departure of that other co-founder, John Romero.",
"The original formula which put Id software on the map with their classics, Wolfenstein 3D and DOOM was that Carmack would make a killer engine that broke the boundaries of technology and Romero would put a killer design over it.",
"Unfortunately it's clear with the creations of Quake 2 and 3 and now DOOM III that the remaining designers of Id Software are getting tired of doing space marine first person shooters.",
"Why?",
"Well the story is very tame and it seems to be made around all the familiar clichs of the genre and it looks like they're trying to jam all these concepts into the design like the PDA so it doesn't feel like just another fps to them.",
"It doesn't quite gel out and slows the game down.",
"The real reason why DOOM3 will get praised (And deservedly so) is because of Carmack's game engine, which is just incredible and top of the line.",
"The graphics, the psychics and the detail to lighting in DOOM3 is amazing, even if the levels are a tad too dark, there is no denying the amazing movement and design of the monsters and characters in relation to the scenery around them.",
"But alas, the only good thing that can come out of DOOM3 is that many new great games can now be made with hyper photo realistic graphics now improving the environment in which we'll play.",
"Beside that though, DOOM3 as a game is a great experience but draining after a while."
] |
Marina's slowly coming to terms with her family's secrets when another huge secret is revealed. Feeling betrayed from multiple angles, Marina seeks comfort in surfing with Lorelei. This brings its own dangers, and when an enemy finds them, Marina must try to save herself and her mermaid family.
Following the first book, I was slightly disappointed in this one. The storyline was great, with lots of action, but it was definitely aimed at a teenaged girl audience, and not just YA lovers in general. I found the teenage drama to be overwhelming and annoying.
Marina and Ethan swung from overly sweet continuous makeout sessions to full out ignoring each other break-ups. The teenaged drama of "I love you" turning to "I hate you" over the slightest small misunderstanding was annoying and frustrating. Very realistic, but not very satisfying to read.
While the drama was never ending, I did find that portayal of a teen caught between being an adult and a child was very realistic and well done. Marina had some profound insights into the people around her, which helped to offset the selfishness and self-centeredness her actions often portrayed.
Overall, this was a good follow-up book, however it was a little heavy on teenaged drama for me. I've never been one for drama, and I have a hard time enjoying it while reading. The story itself is good, still very original and fresh. I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy angst in their stories. | 1 | neutral | [
"Marina's slowly coming to terms with her family's secrets when another huge secret is revealed.",
"Feeling betrayed from multiple angles, Marina seeks comfort in surfing with Lorelei.",
"This brings its own dangers, and when an enemy finds them, Marina must try to save herself and her mermaid family.",
"Following the first book, I was slightly disappointed in this one.",
"The storyline was great, with lots of action, but it was definitely aimed at a teenaged girl audience, and not just YA lovers in general.",
"I found the teenage drama to be overwhelming and annoying.",
"Marina and Ethan swung from overly sweet continuous makeout sessions to full out ignoring each other break-ups.",
"The teenaged drama of \"I love you\" turning to \"I hate you\" over the slightest small misunderstanding was annoying and frustrating.",
"Very realistic, but not very satisfying to read.",
"While the drama was never ending, I did find that portayal of a teen caught between being an adult and a child was very realistic and well done.",
"Marina had some profound insights into the people around her, which helped to offset the selfishness and self-centeredness her actions often portrayed.",
"Overall, this was a good follow-up book, however it was a little heavy on teenaged drama for me.",
"I've never been one for drama, and I have a hard time enjoying it while reading.",
"The story itself is good, still very original and fresh.",
"I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy angst in their stories."
] |
I really wanted to like this game, based on all of the praise it has received and the fact that I really don't have the time to play simply mediocre games. After having played the Baldur's Gate series and thoroughly enjoying it, I thought that this would be more of the same immersive fantasy-based gaming. On some levels, this game is successful in creating an interesting world to explore with some fascinating people to meet and things to do. The story itself is quite intriguing and well-written. The problem is that the game is slowly paced for the first several hours and is tedious throughout.
Gameplay: The controls are fairly simple and should be familiar to anyone who has played Baldur's Gate and similar RPG titles. Your character is an immortal amnesiac who must find out who he is and how to resolve his curse of immortality. The character creation options seem flexible at first, but they really aren't. While you can change classes during the game, you had best learn how to do one thing well, or there will likely be problems later. Also, your alignment (moral view) may change based on your actions, but many of the game's quests (including the main one) are scripted for "right" answers that might force your character to play out of character. Also, there are some unreasonable limits placed on combat. In 30 hours of gameplay, I didn't come across one projectile weapon, which meant that all fights were melee skirmishes. Moreover, you can't tell how wounded your opponents are until they actually kill over.
Planescape: Torment is a very text-heavy game, which is both its strength and greatest weakness. Whoever wrote the dialogue and story is a talented writer, and this would have actually made a decent novel. However, much of the dialogue gets in the way of the gameplay in ways that are truly annoying. You'll find yourself running back and forth between people, going through their entire dialogue trees looking for clues (several times). Sometimes those clues will not be found unless you know exactly who to talk to, when, and about what topic. Even then you might not get what you are looking for. Some of the quests are very imaginative, but others are greatly hindered by this ask-everybody-everything-everytime approach.
The dialogue issue would not be such a problem if it did not plague the main quest, but it does. I hate to consult walkthrough guides, but you will probably have to in order to get pass a few of the several places where you simply won't know what to do next, who to talk to, or what item you need. There is an in-game journal that can be useful, but even it won't point you in the right direction on some occasions (and "completed" quests are not always taken out of the "assigned quests" category).
Actually, this is the first computer RPG that I have played that could not hold my interest until the end. This was largely due to the tedious nature of the gameplay. I knew that it was time to quit when I defeated the main boss, just to get a message afterward that said that, in effect, I had not chosen the correct specific dialogue options before defeating this enemy. What??? It was like finally meeting Diablo at the end of Diablo 2, or Dagoth Ur at the end of Morrowind, or Jon Irenicus at the end of Baldur's Gate 2 and winning the fight, just to learn that you had not been nice enough in your dialogue responses before the fight started and thus would have to redo the 30 minutes of dialogue that preceded the encounter. Very frustrating.
Graphics: Visual representation is decent, even by today's standards. Character models look good, as do environments. The game does have a certain drabness about it, which is part of the storyline. But overall, the graphics are fine.
Sound: Decent, but nothing memorable. The weather in the main city of Sigil is always the same, so there are no thunderstorms or other ambient noises. The voice acting is decent, but quite sparse. More of it would have made the story even more immersive and less text-driven. The music was okay, but again not memorable.
Replayability/Value: I couldn't bear to get through one complete playing of the game, so I can't recommend it for repeat plays. If you insist upon playing this game, try to get it cheap ($10 or less). The story and quests seem too linear to warrant doing them a second time, especially since you are the same basic character during every game. There are a few interesting party members, such as Morte and Annah, but NPC interaction here does not measure up to the high standard set by the Baldur's Gate games.
Overall, I cannot recommend this game to anyone except very patient and/or hardcore roleplaying gamers. For everyone else, there are many computer RPGs available now that are clearly superior to the gameplay, story line, and graphics of Planescape: Torment. If you want to play a truely excellent, classic RPG, check out Morrowind, the Baldur's Gate series, Gothic 2, or even the Diablo series. Though it has a good story, my suspicion is that Planescape: Torment largely appeals to a specific niche of the computer roleplaying market, which does not mind its tedious dialogue system, linear questing, and bizarre story. | 1 | neutral | [
"I really wanted to like this game, based on all of the praise it has received and the fact that I really don't have the time to play simply mediocre games.",
"After having played the Baldur's Gate series and thoroughly enjoying it, I thought that this would be more of the same immersive fantasy-based gaming.",
"On some levels, this game is successful in creating an interesting world to explore with some fascinating people to meet and things to do.",
"The story itself is quite intriguing and well-written.",
"The problem is that the game is slowly paced for the first several hours and is tedious throughout.",
"Gameplay: The controls are fairly simple and should be familiar to anyone who has played Baldur's Gate and similar RPG titles.",
"Your character is an immortal amnesiac who must find out who he is and how to resolve his curse of immortality.",
"The character creation options seem flexible at first, but they really aren't.",
"While you can change classes during the game, you had best learn how to do one thing well, or there will likely be problems later.",
"Also, your alignment (moral view) may change based on your actions, but many of the game's quests (including the main one) are scripted for \"right\" answers that might force your character to play out of character.",
"Also, there are some unreasonable limits placed on combat.",
"In 30 hours of gameplay, I didn't come across one projectile weapon, which meant that all fights were melee skirmishes.",
"Moreover, you can't tell how wounded your opponents are until they actually kill over.",
"Planescape: Torment is a very text-heavy game, which is both its strength and greatest weakness.",
"Whoever wrote the dialogue and story is a talented writer, and this would have actually made a decent novel.",
"However, much of the dialogue gets in the way of the gameplay in ways that are truly annoying.",
"You'll find yourself running back and forth between people, going through their entire dialogue trees looking for clues (several times).",
"Sometimes those clues will not be found unless you know exactly who to talk to, when, and about what topic.",
"Even then you might not get what you are looking for.",
"Some of the quests are very imaginative, but others are greatly hindered by this ask-everybody-everything-everytime approach.",
"The dialogue issue would not be such a problem if it did not plague the main quest, but it does.",
"I hate to consult walkthrough guides, but you will probably have to in order to get pass a few of the several places where you simply won't know what to do next, who to talk to, or what item you need.",
"There is an in-game journal that can be useful, but even it won't point you in the right direction on some occasions (and \"completed\" quests are not always taken out of the \"assigned quests\" category).",
"Actually, this is the first computer RPG that I have played that could not hold my interest until the end.",
"This was largely due to the tedious nature of the gameplay.",
"I knew that it was time to quit when I defeated the main boss, just to get a message afterward that said that, in effect, I had not chosen the correct specific dialogue options before defeating this enemy.",
"What???",
"It was like finally meeting Diablo at the end of Diablo 2, or Dagoth Ur at the end of Morrowind, or Jon Irenicus at the end of Baldur's Gate 2 and winning the fight, just to learn that you had not been nice enough in your dialogue responses before the fight started and thus would have to redo the 30 minutes of dialogue that preceded the encounter.",
"Very frustrating.",
"Graphics: Visual representation is decent, even by today's standards.",
"Character models look good, as do environments.",
"The game does have a certain drabness about it, which is part of the storyline.",
"But overall, the graphics are fine.",
"Sound: Decent, but nothing memorable.",
"The weather in the main city of Sigil is always the same, so there are no thunderstorms or other ambient noises.",
"The voice acting is decent, but quite sparse.",
"More of it would have made the story even more immersive and less text-driven.",
"The music was okay, but again not memorable.",
"Replayability/Value: I couldn't bear to get through one complete playing of the game, so I can't recommend it for repeat plays.",
"If you insist upon playing this game, try to get it cheap ($10 or less).",
"The story and quests seem too linear to warrant doing them a second time, especially since you are the same basic character during every game.",
"There are a few interesting party members, such as Morte and Annah, but NPC interaction here does not measure up to the high standard set by the Baldur's Gate games.",
"Overall, I cannot recommend this game to anyone except very patient and/or hardcore roleplaying gamers.",
"For everyone else, there are many computer RPGs available now that are clearly superior to the gameplay, story line, and graphics of Planescape: Torment.",
"If you want to play a truely excellent, classic RPG, check out Morrowind, the Baldur's Gate series, Gothic 2, or even the Diablo series.",
"Though it has a good story, my suspicion is that Planescape: Torment largely appeals to a specific niche of the computer roleplaying market, which does not mind its tedious dialogue system, linear questing, and bizarre story."
] |
THe acting on this movie is great. But as with any biography
the truth often gets far behind. A large number of people around the REAL
coke dealer met unfortunate ends probably at the dope dealers orders or his accomplishes. You can't be in the hard drug dealing world without
deadly violence.
But we don't see any of this. In fact a early character is said just to vanish. Yes. well most likely jung had him killed. When the late coke addict director of this movie ( he died overdosing on coke) wanted to tell Jungs story he presented a much kinder version of reality than existed. A true bloody tale would have been more accurate and entertaining but director instead tells us a version of drug dealing that is like a fairy tale in some ways. That's nothing new for hollywood.
Many biographies are so whitewashed that the real person would be amazed that this person on screen is supposed to be him!. The reality though is that coke and it's children have laid waste to millions of lives and to make a movie that doesn't show this destruction is rather strange. But then the director was a coke addict. he's dead and long after the real jung is dead the damage he did to the world will be with us. still the movie is entertaining because it has good sctors in it. The blu ray looks great too. | 1 | neutral | [
"THe acting on this movie is great.",
"But as with any biography\nthe truth often gets far behind.",
"A large number of people around the REAL\ncoke dealer met unfortunate ends probably at the dope dealers orders or his accomplishes.",
"You can't be in the hard drug dealing world without\ndeadly violence.",
"But we don't see any of this.",
"In fact a early character is said just to vanish.",
"Yes.",
"well most likely jung had him killed.",
"When the late coke addict director of this movie ( he died overdosing on coke) wanted to tell Jungs story he presented a much kinder version of reality than existed.",
"A true bloody tale would have been more accurate and entertaining but director instead tells us a version of drug dealing that is like a fairy tale in some ways.",
"That's nothing new for hollywood.",
"Many biographies are so whitewashed that the real person would be amazed that this person on screen is supposed to be him!.",
"The reality though is that coke and it's children have laid waste to millions of lives and to make a movie that doesn't show this destruction is rather strange.",
"But then the director was a coke addict.",
"he's dead and long after the real jung is dead the damage he did to the world will be with us.",
"still the movie is entertaining because it has good sctors in it.",
"The blu ray looks great too."
] |
This guitar definitely looks better than the original Rock Band guitars, but there's very little in the way of actual usability improvements that I could say for certain that it is really worth buying.
The one notable improvement over the Rock Band guitars is the touch-sensitive Back button. It makes it a lot easier to activate overdrive/star power while strumming away. But it's also easy to hit accidentally so I question whether it was really needed.
Another strange design decision is that the fret buttons are only half-buttons. That is, they start in the middle of the fret and extend down. This makes for some error depending on how accurate your fingers are. Also, the whammy bar is awkward to use. It is either in the way or so far out of the way that it's difficult to access. Then there's the start button, which is actually a knob that you need to turn until it clicks. It's weird and unnecessary.
The strum bar is nice. It's quiet and responsive. And despite the half fret buttons, they actually feel nice. There is a velvety coating and the buttons push softly.
Other than that, it pretty much compares to the other Rock Band guitars. But it's just a whole lot more money.
The good:
- Wireless
- Touch sensitive back button
- Good looks
- Quiet fret and buttons
The bad:
- Half fret buttons
- Awkward whammy
- Awkward start button
- Expensive
I actually would not recommend this guitar simply because you can get the regular rock band guitar for a lot less money with basically the same functionality. Unless you're some kind of professional rock bander that performs in public, there's really no need for this. Sorry Mad Catz. | 1 | neutral | [
"This guitar definitely looks better than the original Rock Band guitars, but there's very little in the way of actual usability improvements that I could say for certain that it is really worth buying.",
"The one notable improvement over the Rock Band guitars is the touch-sensitive Back button.",
"It makes it a lot easier to activate overdrive/star power while strumming away.",
"But it's also easy to hit accidentally so I question whether it was really needed.",
"Another strange design decision is that the fret buttons are only half-buttons.",
"That is, they start in the middle of the fret and extend down.",
"This makes for some error depending on how accurate your fingers are.",
"Also, the whammy bar is awkward to use.",
"It is either in the way or so far out of the way that it's difficult to access.",
"Then there's the start button, which is actually a knob that you need to turn until it clicks.",
"It's weird and unnecessary.",
"The strum bar is nice.",
"It's quiet and responsive.",
"And despite the half fret buttons, they actually feel nice.",
"There is a velvety coating and the buttons push softly.",
"Other than that, it pretty much compares to the other Rock Band guitars.",
"But it's just a whole lot more money.",
"The good:\n- Wireless\n- Touch sensitive back button\n- Good looks\n- Quiet fret and buttons\nThe bad:\n- Half fret buttons\n- Awkward whammy\n- Awkward start button\n- Expensive\n\nI actually would not recommend this guitar simply because you can get the regular rock band guitar for a lot less money with basically the same functionality.",
"Unless you're some kind of professional rock bander that performs in public, there's really no need for this.",
"Sorry Mad Catz."
] |
Mixed review. First off the phone sounds really good, very respectable sound at both ends. It also sends and receives well in fringe areas. I am having a problem when receiving calls, text, or messages. It wants to go into lock down mode. I then need to hold unlock for 5 seconds before I can answer or read messages. I have set lockdown to never come on but that does not help. Somewhat aggravating although I am learning to live with it.
I called TrakFone and they suggested various things to try but to no avail. I also suggested they exchange the phone but they would not do it. | 1 | neutral | [
"Mixed review.",
"First off the phone sounds really good, very respectable sound at both ends.",
"It also sends and receives well in fringe areas.",
"I am having a problem when receiving calls, text, or messages.",
"It wants to go into lock down mode.",
"I then need to hold unlock for 5 seconds before I can answer or read messages.",
"I have set lockdown to never come on but that does not help.",
"Somewhat aggravating although I am learning to live with it.",
"I called TrakFone and they suggested various things to try but to no avail.",
"I also suggested they exchange the phone but they would not do it."
] |
Kay has some interesting ideas, but I was a little surprised in reading that most reviewers liked the Summer Tree so much. I found it very much needed the directing of a really good editor who could point out that making a jumble of a plot instead of a more straightforward story is going to disturb even those readers who are fairly bright. I confess that I've not read a lot of fantasies -- Lewis, Tolkien, L'Engle, Pullman, Heinlein, Azimov... and not for years. Lately, I was introduced to Robin Hobb and have to admit that after her book in nine volumes, nothing could compete with her glittering writing, nor her literary bent. This is by way of admitting that comparisons are odious.[G] I shall read the other two Kay books in the Fionavar trilogy and I also have Tigana and two other of his books. I also have three George R.R. Martin books -- clearly, I'm on a kick. It may also help to know that I'm seventy-four and might have other -- stronger -- views about reading material. | 1 | neutral | [
"Kay has some interesting ideas, but I was a little surprised in reading that most reviewers liked the Summer Tree so much.",
"I found it very much needed the directing of a really good editor who could point out that making a jumble of a plot instead of a more straightforward story is going to disturb even those readers who are fairly bright.",
"I confess that I've not read a lot of fantasies -- Lewis, Tolkien, L'Engle, Pullman, Heinlein, Azimov...",
"and not for years.",
"Lately, I was introduced to Robin Hobb and have to admit that after her book in nine volumes, nothing could compete with her glittering writing, nor her literary bent.",
"This is by way of admitting that comparisons are odious.",
"[G] I shall read the other two Kay books in the Fionavar trilogy and I also have Tigana and two other of his books.",
"I also have three George R.",
"R. Martin books -- clearly, I'm on a kick.",
"It may also help to know that I'm seventy-four and might have other -- stronger -- views about reading material."
] |
So when i started playing Final Fantasy 13...uh I mean Enchanted Arms, everything was... Seriously, this could easily have been right out of the Final Fantasy vaults. The games looks, feels, and sounds like a Final Fantasy game, just worse. It's an very beautiful game and when it works it's a lot of fun. The story is some kind of FF reject about somebody's magical arms...well it's dumb so I won't go into it.
Instead of materia and stuff like that, you get a whole bunch of golems. That's really the main part of the game. There are only six "characters" in the game that you can play at different times. The rest of the time it a bunch of creatures (golems) which is pretty cool because you have a large variety (40+) different golems to play with.
The worst part about the game is that for some reason it drives my XBox 360 crazy. After playing for a while it locks up and the XBox says that the disc is dirty and can't be read. It's almost like all those pretty graphics overheat the 360. Therefore, you should save VERY frequently. Unfortunately there are a couple of long story driven parts with 2-3 very hard battles that don't let you save in the middle and then crash then game when you're done. I got to replay those lovely parts several times until I could get through the cinematics and dialogue to save.
Speaking of dialogue, there is an unusually large amount of completely useless and silly dialogue that slows down the game.
In the end, if you absolutely FF games and need a fix since they don't release them on XBox then give it a shot buut beware. For everyone else...go play Oblivion again or something. | 1 | neutral | [
"So when i started playing Final Fantasy 13...",
"uh I mean Enchanted Arms, everything was...",
"Seriously, this could easily have been right out of the Final Fantasy vaults.",
"The games looks, feels, and sounds like a Final Fantasy game, just worse.",
"It's an very beautiful game and when it works it's a lot of fun.",
"The story is some kind of FF reject about somebody's magical arms...",
"well it's dumb so I won't go into it.",
"Instead of materia and stuff like that, you get a whole bunch of golems.",
"That's really the main part of the game.",
"There are only six \"characters\" in the game that you can play at different times.",
"The rest of the time it a bunch of creatures (golems) which is pretty cool because you have a large variety (40+) different golems to play with.",
"The worst part about the game is that for some reason it drives my XBox 360 crazy.",
"After playing for a while it locks up and the XBox says that the disc is dirty and can't be read.",
"It's almost like all those pretty graphics overheat the 360.",
"Therefore, you should save VERY frequently.",
"Unfortunately there are a couple of long story driven parts with 2-3 very hard battles that don't let you save in the middle and then crash then game when you're done.",
"I got to replay those lovely parts several times until I could get through the cinematics and dialogue to save.",
"Speaking of dialogue, there is an unusually large amount of completely useless and silly dialogue that slows down the game.",
"In the end, if you absolutely FF games and need a fix since they don't release them on XBox then give it a shot buut beware.",
"For everyone else...",
"go play Oblivion again or something."
] |
In this installment of the series, Martin for some reason decided to completely leave out several important characters, including Dany, Tyrion, and Bran. (Which nearly ruined the book for me; they're three of my favorite characters.) This had the effect of making the novel seem incomplete. Not only was there no mention of what was happening on and beyond the Wall and in Dany's burgeoning kingdom, there was also no true ending to the book. Things felt unfinished, or rather, nothing came to a climax. I didn't expect all loose ends to be wrapped up in the fourth book of a seven-book series, but this one lacked the sense of finality of the previous three.
On top of that, a large chunk of the book was devoted to Cersei, who, when her thoughts were finally exposed, became an almost cartoonish villain. Every decision she made for "her" kingdom was ridiculously foolish, she connived to murder children and holy men, she hired a mad scientist serial killer. She was completely unrelatable; even her thoughts for her own children were self-centered. Every chapter from her point of view was torture (no pun intended).
And then there was that chapter devoted to a new character who later on was killed. This character got only one chapter, and then died. Why this chapter was not told from the point of view of another person in the same chapter who lived to see another day, I have no clue.
Overall, the book was unsatisfying and disappointing on several levels. Important characters were ignored, other characters were turned into boring caricatures, and nothing was resolved. By far the weakest of the four I've read so far, but still worth reading if you're a fan of the series. | 1 | neutral | [
"In this installment of the series, Martin for some reason decided to completely leave out several important characters, including Dany, Tyrion, and Bran.",
"(Which nearly ruined the book for me; they're three of my favorite characters.",
") This had the effect of making the novel seem incomplete.",
"Not only was there no mention of what was happening on and beyond the Wall and in Dany's burgeoning kingdom, there was also no true ending to the book.",
"Things felt unfinished, or rather, nothing came to a climax.",
"I didn't expect all loose ends to be wrapped up in the fourth book of a seven-book series, but this one lacked the sense of finality of the previous three.",
"On top of that, a large chunk of the book was devoted to Cersei, who, when her thoughts were finally exposed, became an almost cartoonish villain.",
"Every decision she made for \"her\" kingdom was ridiculously foolish, she connived to murder children and holy men, she hired a mad scientist serial killer.",
"She was completely unrelatable; even her thoughts for her own children were self-centered.",
"Every chapter from her point of view was torture (no pun intended).",
"And then there was that chapter devoted to a new character who later on was killed.",
"This character got only one chapter, and then died.",
"Why this chapter was not told from the point of view of another person in the same chapter who lived to see another day, I have no clue.",
"Overall, the book was unsatisfying and disappointing on several levels.",
"Important characters were ignored, other characters were turned into boring caricatures, and nothing was resolved.",
"By far the weakest of the four I've read so far, but still worth reading if you're a fan of the series."
] |
Generally, this is a very thorough text. For undergraduate majors in computer science and related, there is more than enough depth and detail. Coverage of the topic is very complete. However, there are many places where the text is not particularly clear. I recommend the text, but it requires considerable instructor work to be sure students understand.
There are some problems, however. The slides provided are lacking and require considerable annotation.
The biggest problems are in the problems and solutions. The problems used terms not defined in the text and are often ambiguous and ill formed. The solutions are minimal and are often wrong. The fact they so many are wrong is a function of the ambiguity in the problems and simply incorrect solutions. If you use this text, do not count on the back of the chapter problems to be assigned without a thorough solving ahead of time and the need for provided considerable clarification. | 1 | neutral | [
"Generally, this is a very thorough text.",
"For undergraduate majors in computer science and related, there is more than enough depth and detail.",
"Coverage of the topic is very complete.",
"However, there are many places where the text is not particularly clear.",
"I recommend the text, but it requires considerable instructor work to be sure students understand.",
"There are some problems, however.",
"The slides provided are lacking and require considerable annotation.",
"The biggest problems are in the problems and solutions.",
"The problems used terms not defined in the text and are often ambiguous and ill formed.",
"The solutions are minimal and are often wrong.",
"The fact they so many are wrong is a function of the ambiguity in the problems and simply incorrect solutions.",
"If you use this text, do not count on the back of the chapter problems to be assigned without a thorough solving ahead of time and the need for provided considerable clarification."
] |
This is actually the 2nd set we've had. The first set was a gift to my boys from an aunt. They LOVED them but they broke immediately. I honestly don't remember why, it was a couple yrs ago. When they came across them browsing for Christmas ideas they were both really excited. We added them to the wishlist and I did some research first. I knew ahead of time they use a TON of batteries and committed to buying those as well. The reviews were mixed but in the end they were the right price and my son really wanted them, and mentioned them several times. They arrived quickly and on time for Christmas. My children were very excited to get them. For me, that's the last positive thing I have to say. It costs roughly $10 in batteries, if not more. They make an atrocious noise. And yes, they broke the first time they were used. The driver guy doesn't engage, or "click in", after only once or twice around our dining room. They are still usable to a certain extent although the main goal is to eject the other driver. My kids had a bad year as far as needing to return a lot of stuff and letdowns, so rather than spend more time returning we just kept it and they're using it as is. They're ok with them, so I guess it's no biggie. | 1 | neutral | [
"This is actually the 2nd set we've had.",
"The first set was a gift to my boys from an aunt.",
"They LOVED them but they broke immediately.",
"I honestly don't remember why, it was a couple yrs ago.",
"When they came across them browsing for Christmas ideas they were both really excited.",
"We added them to the wishlist and I did some research first.",
"I knew ahead of time they use a TON of batteries and committed to buying those as well.",
"The reviews were mixed but in the end they were the right price and my son really wanted them, and mentioned them several times.",
"They arrived quickly and on time for Christmas.",
"My children were very excited to get them.",
"For me, that's the last positive thing I have to say.",
"It costs roughly $10 in batteries, if not more.",
"They make an atrocious noise.",
"And yes, they broke the first time they were used.",
"The driver guy doesn't engage, or \"click in\", after only once or twice around our dining room.",
"They are still usable to a certain extent although the main goal is to eject the other driver.",
"My kids had a bad year as far as needing to return a lot of stuff and letdowns, so rather than spend more time returning we just kept it and they're using it as is.",
"They're ok with them, so I guess it's no biggie."
] |
I liked this stand better before it broke. I had it for maybe four months, with a little 49-key extremely lightweight keyboard on it. Today, the thought process went something like, "Why is this wobbly? Huh? What the? Oh. Because the support arm is going, going, and now it's gone."
The threaded sheet metal deal inside the tube let go. It would take a welder to fix that correctly. I don't have a welder, so I slathered it with gobs and gobs of super glue. That will hold until I get around to buying a real keyboard stand. | 1 | neutral | [
"I liked this stand better before it broke.",
"I had it for maybe four months, with a little 49-key extremely lightweight keyboard on it.",
"Today, the thought process went something like, \"Why is this wobbly?",
"Huh?",
"What the?",
"Oh.",
"Because the support arm is going, going, and now it's gone.",
"\"\n\nThe threaded sheet metal deal inside the tube let go.",
"It would take a welder to fix that correctly.",
"I don't have a welder, so I slathered it with gobs and gobs of super glue.",
"That will hold until I get around to buying a real keyboard stand."
] |
The D.C. Council is poised to tighten eligibility requirementsfor homeless residents seeking emergency shelter
Amber Harding a staff attorney at the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless said her organization is arguing for multiple changes to the legislation including requirements for proof of residency and the creation of a presumption absent proof to the contrary that anyone named as an occupant on a lease is ineligible for shelter.
She said both provisions would be especially burdensome for the young parents â commonly between the ages of 18 and 24 â who often seek shelter since they may not have adequate documentation of where they live or may still be listed on leases at the homes of parents unwilling to host their families.
âThe purpose of the right to shelter is to prevent people from freezing to death â Harding said. With the current bill she added âWe will guarantee that people will be left out on freezing nights who are D.C. residents and are eligible for shelter just because theyâve put up these bureaucratic hurdles.â
Nadeau said the bill has evolved in a way that softens some of the original shelter eligibility rules proposed by the mayor. It now includes a provision that shelter applicants would meet the residence requirement if they are already receiving certain other D.C. government benefits for the poor she said. The bill has also been modified to require only one proof of residency rather than the original two she said.
âWhen we say that we canât keep spending $80 000 a night . . . itâs not because we donât want to support the people in hotels â she said. âItâs because we want a better intervention for them. We can spend $80 000 a night in so many ways that help people more.â | 1 | neutral | [
"The D.",
"C. Council is poised to tighten eligibility requirementsfor homeless residents seeking emergency shelter\nAmber Harding a staff attorney at the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless said her organization is arguing for multiple changes to the legislation including requirements for proof of residency and the creation of a presumption absent proof to the contrary that anyone named as an occupant on a lease is ineligible for shelter.",
"She said both provisions would be especially burdensome for the young parents â commonly between the ages of 18 and 24 â who often seek shelter since they may not have adequate documentation of where they live or may still be listed on leases at the homes of parents unwilling to host their families.",
"âThe purpose of the right to shelter is to prevent people from freezing to death â Harding said.",
"With the current bill she added âWe will guarantee that people will be left out on freezing nights who are D.",
"C. residents and are eligible for shelter just because theyâve put up these bureaucratic hurdles.",
"â\nNadeau said the bill has evolved in a way that softens some of the original shelter eligibility rules proposed by the mayor.",
"It now includes a provision that shelter applicants would meet the residence requirement if they are already receiving certain other D.",
"C. government benefits for the poor she said.",
"The bill has also been modified to require only one proof of residency rather than the original two she said.",
"âWhen we say that we canât keep spending $80 000 a night.",
".",
".",
"itâs not because we donât want to support the people in hotels â she said.",
"âItâs because we want a better intervention for them.",
"We can spend $80 000 a night in so many ways that help people more.",
"â"
] |
I found this horror film watchable, but still it disappointed me a little as it is nowhere near the level of "The Ring". Below, more of my impressions, with some limited SPOILERS.
PRECISION: I never watched the original "Ju-on: the grudge" Japanese version so I am unable to compare it to this American remake.
Karen Davis (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is an American nurse living and working in Tokyo. She is efficient and hardworking and therefore she handles already numerous assignments, but her boss Alex (Ted Raimi) asks her to take one more patient, an aged American woman named Emma Williams (Grace Zabriskie). Emma lives alone in a large and old (by Tokyo's standards) house and she needs care because she suffers from dementia and lethargy - or Yoko (Yoko Maki), the usually very reliable previous nurse assigned to her didn't report to work for a couple of days...
This actually is not the real beginning of the story, because the action of this film is as non-linear as it is humanly possible, with numerous flash-backs and with some new plots kicking in all the time - and that is precisely part of my problem with "The Grudge". Non-linear narration is a very excellent thing but only if the director keeps things under strict control - here it is not the case and even if the logic of the story is ultimately preserved it takes a great effort to keep up with the developments. Personally, considering that the film was not so good anyway, towards the end I didn't feel like making this effort anymore because all those narrative acrobatics tired me instead of intriguing...
The other problem I had with this film that, unlike the chillingly terrifying "The Ring", this film is hardly scary AT ALL. There is only a couple of really good scenes, but in a 92 minutes film it is not nearly enough.
The main strength of this film is in Sarah Michelle Gellar, who reveals herself here as a much better actress than usually believed - and of course she is still cute as a button, exactly as in "Buffy" TV series. Her character is likeable and clearly vulnerable (do not expect any martial arts) and therefore I was concerned about what will happen to her all the time - it was actually what kept me watching this thing until the very end...
The other asset is Detective Nakagawa (Ryo Ishibashi), a tough, courageous and competent police officer who already had to do with Emma's house in the past and is clearly scared s***less by this place - but nevertheless will do his duty with cold, resigned resolution.
Still, the good points notwithstanding, this is not a very successful film. Watchable, but nothing more and especially nowhere near the quality of "The Ring". | 1 | neutral | [
"I found this horror film watchable, but still it disappointed me a little as it is nowhere near the level of \"The Ring\".",
"Below, more of my impressions, with some limited SPOILERS.",
"PRECISION: I never watched the original \"Ju-on: the grudge\" Japanese version so I am unable to compare it to this American remake.",
"Karen Davis (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is an American nurse living and working in Tokyo.",
"She is efficient and hardworking and therefore she handles already numerous assignments, but her boss Alex (Ted Raimi) asks her to take one more patient, an aged American woman named Emma Williams (Grace Zabriskie).",
"Emma lives alone in a large and old (by Tokyo's standards) house and she needs care because she suffers from dementia and lethargy - or Yoko (Yoko Maki), the usually very reliable previous nurse assigned to her didn't report to work for a couple of days...",
"This actually is not the real beginning of the story, because the action of this film is as non-linear as it is humanly possible, with numerous flash-backs and with some new plots kicking in all the time - and that is precisely part of my problem with \"The Grudge\".",
"Non-linear narration is a very excellent thing but only if the director keeps things under strict control - here it is not the case and even if the logic of the story is ultimately preserved it takes a great effort to keep up with the developments.",
"Personally, considering that the film was not so good anyway, towards the end I didn't feel like making this effort anymore because all those narrative acrobatics tired me instead of intriguing...",
"The other problem I had with this film that, unlike the chillingly terrifying \"The Ring\", this film is hardly scary AT ALL.",
"There is only a couple of really good scenes, but in a 92 minutes film it is not nearly enough.",
"The main strength of this film is in Sarah Michelle Gellar, who reveals herself here as a much better actress than usually believed - and of course she is still cute as a button, exactly as in \"Buffy\" TV series.",
"Her character is likeable and clearly vulnerable (do not expect any martial arts) and therefore I was concerned about what will happen to her all the time - it was actually what kept me watching this thing until the very end...",
"The other asset is Detective Nakagawa (Ryo Ishibashi), a tough, courageous and competent police officer who already had to do with Emma's house in the past and is clearly scared s***less by this place - but nevertheless will do his duty with cold, resigned resolution.",
"Still, the good points notwithstanding, this is not a very successful film.",
"Watchable, but nothing more and especially nowhere near the quality of \"The Ring\"."
] |
I have owned the e71x for over two years. I still have it and will probably use it until it dies. This phone has one shining feature; it is as tough as nails! I love the size, features and durability of the e71x. But all is not perfect in paradise. Although this phone has a lot to love, it has a lot of problems. So here is an idea of what is like to own the e71x.
THE THINGS I DON'T LIKE ABOUT THE E71X:
1. The OS: Nokia stopped supporting the Symbian S60 3rd Edition OS almost immediately after they released it. There are lots of glitches with this OS that need to be fixed via updates, but Nokia does not care. There are thousands of e71x users like me that have begged them to fix the problems with this OS and we get no response. The e71x hit the market about the time of the Iphone and it did not get the huge reception that Nokia wanted, so the just abandoned it. That really stinks and shows poor character for a large company like Nokia.
2. App Support: If I were going to buy this phone again, I would buy the e71 and not the e71x. The e71 and the e71x are identical except for the OS. Somehow, even though they claim to have the same OS (Symbian S60 3rd Edition), some apps that will go work on the e71, will not work on the e71x. So there a lot fewer apps for the e71x. But what really irritates me is that of the few apps that are available for the e71x, 9 out of 10 are not stand alone apps, but require network data support to even start up. So if you are like me, a person who thinks it is dumb to pay $60 a month for a data plan on a phone that has wifi, then you will be ticked to find that most of the apps for the e71x require a data plan. I don't mean that some of their feature will not work if you don't have a data plan, I mean that they will not even start up if they don't find a data connection. And just in case your are thinking of it; no, they will not recognized a wifi connection. So after two years of owning this phone, I have only found a couple apps that will work on it without a data plan. I can tell you positively that, they people that engineered the OS for the e71x, deliberately made it in a way so as to force you to buy a data plan. I paid top dollar to buy my phone so that I would not have pay for a data a plan that I would not use. It really, really chaps me that AT&T and Nokia conspired together to do what they did.
3. Battery Life: The battery life of the e71x is pretty bad. I seldom make it through a day without having to charge my phone. The most I get out of it is a couple hours of talk time. I have bought new OEM batteries for it, but they die just as quick as the old ones. And just wait until you turn wifi on. Oh my! You can literally watch the battery meter go down. I am not sure what kills the battery so fast, because this phone has a relatively large battery pack compared to other phones I have used. For one thing, there are no manual controls for screen brightness. The e71x relies on a light sensor to adjust the the screen brightness, but it has never worked on my e71x, so my screen is always at it's brightest. There is a slider control to adjust the sensitivities of the light sensor, but adjusting it has no effect on my phone. Lots of other people have complained about this to Nokia, but as I have said before, Nokia does not care. Oh, and the phone has a light breathing function when not in use that is impossible to turn off. Basically, the phone sits there and slowly lights up and slowly dims, as if it is breathing. So even when you are not using it, it running the battery down.
4. Wifi: The wifi card on the e71x, is pretty weak, but it does work (for the 20 minutes you have battery life). The problem with it is really related to the OS. The e71x has three idles screen themes (really should be called Layouts) and on each of the three themes appears a link to your wifi function. So say you are sitting in a Burger King and want to check if there is a wifi hotspot. You can quickly whip out your phone, click on the wifi link and be scanning for a signal. Great right? Well, unfortunately that link causes your phone to crash three to four times a day, in what is call the infamous "Idle Screen Theme Error". The phone will crash, sound an alarm and then give you the Idle Screen them error, and then come back online. At first you don't notice anything wrong with your idle screen theme until you try to use your wifi. That is when you notice that the wifi link is gone. You then spend the next three days trying figure out what has happened, only to discover that you have once again been the victim of the glitchy Symbian S60 3rd Edition OS and that Nokia has no plans to fix the problem. Now you are stuck with having to dig five menus deep into the phone settings to get to the wifi function, or go through the process of resetting your idle screen theme several times a day.
5. GPS: The e71x does have a gps, but it might as well not. It takes no less then 5 minutes for it to find satellite signal if you are standing dead still in the wide open. But the really bad thing is that I have not been able to find a single stand alone app that will work with the GPS that does not required a data plan. If you have a data plan and are willing to stand out in the open for five minutes every time you want to use the gps, I guess it might work for you, but for me it is useless.
6. Camera: The camera on the e71x is pretty bad when compared to other cameras of other smartphones with 3.2MP cameras. Have even seen 2MP smartphone cameras that do better. I actually used a panel made up of some friends to judge the quality of two other smartphones (3.2MP & 2MP) against the e71x. The e71x lost hands down. I seldom use it as a result of the poor quality.
THE THINGS I LIKE ABOUT THE E71X:
1. Size and Durability: The e71x is a brick. It is really small for all the features it has and it is built more sturdier then any other smartphone I have held. This was the main reason I bought the e71x in the first place and it has not disappointed me in this regard. I bought a slim anti-slip gel case for it when I first got it and it has been great. It has fallen a few times on concrete, but the phone still looks and functions like it did when it was brand new.
2. Keyboard & Buttons: I am a big man with fat fingers. At first I though I would have a problem with the small keyboard on the e71x, but after a few days of break-in time I was typing away. Like the rest of the phone, the keyboard and the buttons feel solid and after two years of heavy use, still look brand new. Not one single letter or symbol is faded.
3. Screen: The screen is bright and sharp, even if it is small (you can't have everything). I have used screen protectors from day one and it still looks great.
4. Advanced voice calling support: I hate holding a phone to my ear, so I use a bluetooth 99% of the time. I also hate having to pull my phone out of my pocket and look through my address book (over 300 entries) to find a number to call. But I don't have to because the e71x has advance phone calling support. I just have to push and hold the button on my Plantronics Voyager PRO Plus headset and speak the name of the person I want to call. Wallah! That is as easy as it gets.
5. Text to Speech Function: The e71x has text to speech functions and will speak out the name of the person calling if they are in your address book. So say you are driving your car and your phone rings. It's in your pocket and it is difficult to get it out to see who is calling. Not a problem with the e71x. It rings and then says the name of the person (if they are in your address book). If the call is from someone not in address book it just rings, but this tells you that you don't know the person that well and you can decide to let them leave a voicemail if you don't want to take an anonymous call.
6. Bluetooth: Unlike some phone that don't like (or are software restricted from) transferring data with other Bluetooth devices, the e71x seems to be able to connect and transfer to any other Bluetooth device that will talk to it. I Like freedom and hate it when manufactures restrict their products to work only with in their engineered limitations (I am talking about you APPLE!).
Well, that is about it. You should know all you need to know about the e71x now. If this phone had a better OS (or at least better support from Nokia), better camera, better battery life and better apps support, it would be a five star phone. That being said, it is still pretty darn good phone for phone and texting functions, and I would not shy away from buying another, but never at full price again. | 1 | neutral | [
"I have owned the e71x for over two years.",
"I still have it and will probably use it until it dies.",
"This phone has one shining feature; it is as tough as nails!",
"I love the size, features and durability of the e71x.",
"But all is not perfect in paradise.",
"Although this phone has a lot to love, it has a lot of problems.",
"So here is an idea of what is like to own the e71x.",
"THE THINGS I DON'T LIKE ABOUT THE E71X:\n\n1.",
"The OS: Nokia stopped supporting the Symbian S60 3rd Edition OS almost immediately after they released it.",
"There are lots of glitches with this OS that need to be fixed via updates, but Nokia does not care.",
"There are thousands of e71x users like me that have begged them to fix the problems with this OS and we get no response.",
"The e71x hit the market about the time of the Iphone and it did not get the huge reception that Nokia wanted, so the just abandoned it.",
"That really stinks and shows poor character for a large company like Nokia.",
"2.",
"App Support: If I were going to buy this phone again, I would buy the e71 and not the e71x.",
"The e71 and the e71x are identical except for the OS.",
"Somehow, even though they claim to have the same OS (Symbian S60 3rd Edition), some apps that will go work on the e71, will not work on the e71x.",
"So there a lot fewer apps for the e71x.",
"But what really irritates me is that of the few apps that are available for the e71x, 9 out of 10 are not stand alone apps, but require network data support to even start up.",
"So if you are like me, a person who thinks it is dumb to pay $60 a month for a data plan on a phone that has wifi, then you will be ticked to find that most of the apps for the e71x require a data plan.",
"I don't mean that some of their feature will not work if you don't have a data plan, I mean that they will not even start up if they don't find a data connection.",
"And just in case your are thinking of it; no, they will not recognized a wifi connection.",
"So after two years of owning this phone, I have only found a couple apps that will work on it without a data plan.",
"I can tell you positively that, they people that engineered the OS for the e71x, deliberately made it in a way so as to force you to buy a data plan.",
"I paid top dollar to buy my phone so that I would not have pay for a data a plan that I would not use.",
"It really, really chaps me that AT&T and Nokia conspired together to do what they did.",
"3.",
"Battery Life: The battery life of the e71x is pretty bad.",
"I seldom make it through a day without having to charge my phone.",
"The most I get out of it is a couple hours of talk time.",
"I have bought new OEM batteries for it, but they die just as quick as the old ones.",
"And just wait until you turn wifi on.",
"Oh my!",
"You can literally watch the battery meter go down.",
"I am not sure what kills the battery so fast, because this phone has a relatively large battery pack compared to other phones I have used.",
"For one thing, there are no manual controls for screen brightness.",
"The e71x relies on a light sensor to adjust the the screen brightness, but it has never worked on my e71x, so my screen is always at it's brightest.",
"There is a slider control to adjust the sensitivities of the light sensor, but adjusting it has no effect on my phone.",
"Lots of other people have complained about this to Nokia, but as I have said before, Nokia does not care.",
"Oh, and the phone has a light breathing function when not in use that is impossible to turn off.",
"Basically, the phone sits there and slowly lights up and slowly dims, as if it is breathing.",
"So even when you are not using it, it running the battery down.",
"4.",
"Wifi: The wifi card on the e71x, is pretty weak, but it does work (for the 20 minutes you have battery life).",
"The problem with it is really related to the OS.",
"The e71x has three idles screen themes (really should be called Layouts) and on each of the three themes appears a link to your wifi function.",
"So say you are sitting in a Burger King and want to check if there is a wifi hotspot.",
"You can quickly whip out your phone, click on the wifi link and be scanning for a signal.",
"Great right?",
"Well, unfortunately that link causes your phone to crash three to four times a day, in what is call the infamous \"Idle Screen Theme Error\".",
"The phone will crash, sound an alarm and then give you the Idle Screen them error, and then come back online.",
"At first you don't notice anything wrong with your idle screen theme until you try to use your wifi.",
"That is when you notice that the wifi link is gone.",
"You then spend the next three days trying figure out what has happened, only to discover that you have once again been the victim of the glitchy Symbian S60 3rd Edition OS and that Nokia has no plans to fix the problem.",
"Now you are stuck with having to dig five menus deep into the phone settings to get to the wifi function, or go through the process of resetting your idle screen theme several times a day.",
"5.",
"GPS: The e71x does have a gps, but it might as well not.",
"It takes no less then 5 minutes for it to find satellite signal if you are standing dead still in the wide open.",
"But the really bad thing is that I have not been able to find a single stand alone app that will work with the GPS that does not required a data plan.",
"If you have a data plan and are willing to stand out in the open for five minutes every time you want to use the gps, I guess it might work for you, but for me it is useless.",
"6.",
"Camera: The camera on the e71x is pretty bad when compared to other cameras of other smartphones with 3.",
"2MP cameras.",
"Have even seen 2MP smartphone cameras that do better.",
"I actually used a panel made up of some friends to judge the quality of two other smartphones (3.",
"2MP & 2MP) against the e71x.",
"The e71x lost hands down.",
"I seldom use it as a result of the poor quality.",
"THE THINGS I LIKE ABOUT THE E71X:\n\n1.",
"Size and Durability: The e71x is a brick.",
"It is really small for all the features it has and it is built more sturdier then any other smartphone I have held.",
"This was the main reason I bought the e71x in the first place and it has not disappointed me in this regard.",
"I bought a slim anti-slip gel case for it when I first got it and it has been great.",
"It has fallen a few times on concrete, but the phone still looks and functions like it did when it was brand new.",
"2.",
"Keyboard & Buttons: I am a big man with fat fingers.",
"At first I though I would have a problem with the small keyboard on the e71x, but after a few days of break-in time I was typing away.",
"Like the rest of the phone, the keyboard and the buttons feel solid and after two years of heavy use, still look brand new.",
"Not one single letter or symbol is faded.",
"3.",
"Screen: The screen is bright and sharp, even if it is small (you can't have everything).",
"I have used screen protectors from day one and it still looks great.",
"4.",
"Advanced voice calling support: I hate holding a phone to my ear, so I use a bluetooth 99% of the time.",
"I also hate having to pull my phone out of my pocket and look through my address book (over 300 entries) to find a number to call.",
"But I don't have to because the e71x has advance phone calling support.",
"I just have to push and hold the button on my Plantronics Voyager PRO Plus headset and speak the name of the person I want to call.",
"Wallah!",
"That is as easy as it gets.",
"5.",
"Text to Speech Function: The e71x has text to speech functions and will speak out the name of the person calling if they are in your address book.",
"So say you are driving your car and your phone rings.",
"It's in your pocket and it is difficult to get it out to see who is calling.",
"Not a problem with the e71x.",
"It rings and then says the name of the person (if they are in your address book).",
"If the call is from someone not in address book it just rings, but this tells you that you don't know the person that well and you can decide to let them leave a voicemail if you don't want to take an anonymous call.",
"6.",
"Bluetooth: Unlike some phone that don't like (or are software restricted from) transferring data with other Bluetooth devices, the e71x seems to be able to connect and transfer to any other Bluetooth device that will talk to it.",
"I Like freedom and hate it when manufactures restrict their products to work only with in their engineered limitations (I am talking about you APPLE!",
").",
"Well, that is about it.",
"You should know all you need to know about the e71x now.",
"If this phone had a better OS (or at least better support from Nokia), better camera, better battery life and better apps support, it would be a five star phone.",
"That being said, it is still pretty darn good phone for phone and texting functions, and I would not shy away from buying another, but never at full price again."
] |
Okay, I'll admit it. I watch just about every Arnold Schwarzenegger movie that comes out. I've even bought his Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding. With truly Olympian fortitude, I even sat through "Jingle All the Way" with my kid. I'm a fan. There, I've said it.
That's why it grieves me to pan this movie. This flick asks you to suspend disbelief just a little too much. Well, A LOT too much, truth be told.
Arnold plays a U.S. Marshall, who works alone. His job description is more that of a special operations soldier, who seems to leave very few laws unbroken.
At the very beginning of the movie, for instance, Arnold whooshes into the house of a mobster in the Witness Protection Program who is about to have his tongue cut off by bad guys. Arnold is alone, dressed in black, and well-armed. He kills two bad guys in self-defense, and executes another on the front lawn. Prior to arriving here, he has stopped by the morgue and stolen two corpses.
What else does he do? He hides the heroine, played by Vanessa Williams, in New York City, and as he's leaving, casually hands her pistol and says, "All you have to do is pull the trigger." Yeah, right! NO COP would EVER do this! I don't know how many laws he broke there, but it had to be at least a few.
Throughout the movie, he shoots first and asks questions later, if he asks them at all. He is mistaken for "mole," and has hordes of federal agents pursuing him. He never questions whether they are all genuinely corrupt, or if are following orders, believing him to be a bona fide suspect; he happily blows them all away. And at the end of the movie...well, I'll let you see that and judge the believability of it for yourself.
This movie does have some funny lines, and the scene in the zoo with the marauding alligators is great. How much you enjoy this movie will depend largely on how easy it is for you to overlook the fact that a federal agent commits felony after felony after felony, apparently oblivious to the law. | 1 | neutral | [
"Okay, I'll admit it.",
"I watch just about every Arnold Schwarzenegger movie that comes out.",
"I've even bought his Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding.",
"With truly Olympian fortitude, I even sat through \"Jingle All the Way\" with my kid.",
"I'm a fan.",
"There, I've said it.",
"That's why it grieves me to pan this movie.",
"This flick asks you to suspend disbelief just a little too much.",
"Well, A LOT too much, truth be told.",
"Arnold plays a U.",
"S. Marshall, who works alone.",
"His job description is more that of a special operations soldier, who seems to leave very few laws unbroken.",
"At the very beginning of the movie, for instance, Arnold whooshes into the house of a mobster in the Witness Protection Program who is about to have his tongue cut off by bad guys.",
"Arnold is alone, dressed in black, and well-armed.",
"He kills two bad guys in self-defense, and executes another on the front lawn.",
"Prior to arriving here, he has stopped by the morgue and stolen two corpses.",
"What else does he do?",
"He hides the heroine, played by Vanessa Williams, in New York City, and as he's leaving, casually hands her pistol and says, \"All you have to do is pull the trigger.",
"\" Yeah, right!",
"NO COP would EVER do this!",
"I don't know how many laws he broke there, but it had to be at least a few.",
"Throughout the movie, he shoots first and asks questions later, if he asks them at all.",
"He is mistaken for \"mole,\" and has hordes of federal agents pursuing him.",
"He never questions whether they are all genuinely corrupt, or if are following orders, believing him to be a bona fide suspect; he happily blows them all away.",
"And at the end of the movie...",
"well, I'll let you see that and judge the believability of it for yourself.",
"This movie does have some funny lines, and the scene in the zoo with the marauding alligators is great.",
"How much you enjoy this movie will depend largely on how easy it is for you to overlook the fact that a federal agent commits felony after felony after felony, apparently oblivious to the law."
] |
I'm not quite sure how this thing works, but it does. Easy install of the diverter from the faucet with no leaks. After a few weeks of running it, it lost any unpleasant taste and was producing pretty good water. A big plus here is flow rate. The filtered water comes out fast -- you can fill a bottle in seconds. This is a key advantage for me. Even the regular tap (unfiltered) comes through pretty fast.
So what are the down sides? I can't quite come to terms with a filter that only needs to be changed once a year. Doesn't all that standing around in water produce bad stuff (who knows what - bacteria?) This is just a worry. Nothing specific.
Second, the "burn in" period for the filter lasts a while. My wife wouldn't drink the water for a week to two weeks. Granted, she's very picky when it comes to water, but then we should be! It did take a few weeks for the bad taste to go away. When it came time to replace the filter for me, I didn't really want to go through another 2 weeks of flushing the filter.
More important, if you do get this filter, then be sure you keep the widget they send to help you open the filter case to change the filter very carefully (sort of looks like a screw driver with out the bit at the end). I lost this and didn't succeed in using anything else in its place.
More recently, I bought a WaterChef C7000 Premium Countertop Water Filter, and would have to conclude it is better in every way, but one -- price (twice as expensive... ouch). That filter started tasting fine after 15 minutes of flushing. The filter is rated at 3 microns rather than 5 for the Purenex. There is a use-based light that tells you when to change the filter. The diverter valve automatically reverts to tap water after use (a very handy feature). The unit itself is better designed so you can place it to the right or left of your faucet (the hose enters at the base from either direction). The downside of the WaterChef is that it is twice as expensive. But having owned both, I think it's worth the price. In the theory the filter lasts almost twice as long, but more importantly the water out tasting better.
So far I'm sold on the WaterChef and would avoid the Purenex. Having said that taste is very personal, so this one might work for you. | 1 | neutral | [
"I'm not quite sure how this thing works, but it does.",
"Easy install of the diverter from the faucet with no leaks.",
"After a few weeks of running it, it lost any unpleasant taste and was producing pretty good water.",
"A big plus here is flow rate.",
"The filtered water comes out fast -- you can fill a bottle in seconds.",
"This is a key advantage for me.",
"Even the regular tap (unfiltered) comes through pretty fast.",
"So what are the down sides?",
"I can't quite come to terms with a filter that only needs to be changed once a year.",
"Doesn't all that standing around in water produce bad stuff (who knows what - bacteria?",
") This is just a worry.",
"Nothing specific.",
"Second, the \"burn in\" period for the filter lasts a while.",
"My wife wouldn't drink the water for a week to two weeks.",
"Granted, she's very picky when it comes to water, but then we should be!",
"It did take a few weeks for the bad taste to go away.",
"When it came time to replace the filter for me, I didn't really want to go through another 2 weeks of flushing the filter.",
"More important, if you do get this filter, then be sure you keep the widget they send to help you open the filter case to change the filter very carefully (sort of looks like a screw driver with out the bit at the end).",
"I lost this and didn't succeed in using anything else in its place.",
"More recently, I bought a WaterChef C7000 Premium Countertop Water Filter, and would have to conclude it is better in every way, but one -- price (twice as expensive...",
"ouch).",
"That filter started tasting fine after 15 minutes of flushing.",
"The filter is rated at 3 microns rather than 5 for the Purenex.",
"There is a use-based light that tells you when to change the filter.",
"The diverter valve automatically reverts to tap water after use (a very handy feature).",
"The unit itself is better designed so you can place it to the right or left of your faucet (the hose enters at the base from either direction).",
"The downside of the WaterChef is that it is twice as expensive.",
"But having owned both, I think it's worth the price.",
"In the theory the filter lasts almost twice as long, but more importantly the water out tasting better.",
"So far I'm sold on the WaterChef and would avoid the Purenex.",
"Having said that taste is very personal, so this one might work for you."
] |
A good looking blue & neon green accents sandal.
As a slip in quick into the water on and off sandal its great. As an active running shoe not so much, foot slips & slides inside, wear sock layers to fill up. The only adjustment strap is across the very top. Permanent mounted elastic across the rest of the top, no way to adjust the tightness or loosen those elastic straps.
I know Keen shoes are the competitor here.. We're owner's of lots of Merrell & Keen products. A wide footed group too. At least Keen line has it's bungee cord system to adjust all around that would have been nice for this sandal.
We're still keeping this sandal based on looks, can be a casual lounging at out door BBQ's , on the lakes and river adventures. Not so good for being on the run. | 1 | neutral | [
"A good looking blue & neon green accents sandal.",
"As a slip in quick into the water on and off sandal its great.",
"As an active running shoe not so much, foot slips & slides inside, wear sock layers to fill up.",
"The only adjustment strap is across the very top.",
"Permanent mounted elastic across the rest of the top, no way to adjust the tightness or loosen those elastic straps.",
"I know Keen shoes are the competitor here..",
"We're owner's of lots of Merrell & Keen products.",
"A wide footed group too.",
"At least Keen line has it's bungee cord system to adjust all around that would have been nice for this sandal.",
"We're still keeping this sandal based on looks, can be a casual lounging at out door BBQ's , on the lakes and river adventures.",
"Not so good for being on the run."
] |
I just reviewed David Allan Coe's for the record. I bought that and this cd at the same time because between the tow of them they had all the songs that were on his encore album. A lot of the songs are on the same cd. But f it takes two cds to get all the songs on one vinyl album that o.k.
This cd starts off with She Used To Love Me A Lot. Which shows that David Alan Coe is actually a pretty good singer. And not just the outlaw he wants everyone to think he is. It is one of my favorite David Allan Coe songs. And just a great love song in general. Most of these songs were hits like Willie Waylon and Me. And he does good covers of Please Come To Boston and Pleding My Love. This cd shows that he could do many different styles of music. And not just the outlaw stuff. | 1 | neutral | [
"I just reviewed David Allan Coe's for the record.",
"I bought that and this cd at the same time because between the tow of them they had all the songs that were on his encore album.",
"A lot of the songs are on the same cd.",
"But f it takes two cds to get all the songs on one vinyl album that o.",
"k.\nThis cd starts off with She Used To Love Me A Lot.",
"Which shows that David Alan Coe is actually a pretty good singer.",
"And not just the outlaw he wants everyone to think he is.",
"It is one of my favorite David Allan Coe songs.",
"And just a great love song in general.",
"Most of these songs were hits like Willie Waylon and Me.",
"And he does good covers of Please Come To Boston and Pleding My Love.",
"This cd shows that he could do many different styles of music.",
"And not just the outlaw stuff."
] |
As the title for this 1996 CD suggests, the more mid-tempo/ballad side of Mr. Gill are given more prominent on this release. Now this wouldn't be a problem if these songs were of the quality that we are used to on afore mentioned CDs by Johnny. What we have here are some half decent songs, that whilst not awful, are a par down on what we are used to from this artist. On to many of these songs, they all merge into each other. Only a hardcore fan/lover of quiet storm moment would fine anything of any value here. I never had my copy for long, giving it to my big Sister, who loved all things Johnny back then.
As for the more the more up-tempo songs, 'I know you Want me is OK' as is 'So gentle'.
This was the last Johnny Gill Cd I purchased( and I think that this was his last major solo CD release) With a voice like Mr. Gill has, this is a crying shame! | 1 | neutral | [
"As the title for this 1996 CD suggests, the more mid-tempo/ballad side of Mr.",
"Gill are given more prominent on this release.",
"Now this wouldn't be a problem if these songs were of the quality that we are used to on afore mentioned CDs by Johnny.",
"What we have here are some half decent songs, that whilst not awful, are a par down on what we are used to from this artist.",
"On to many of these songs, they all merge into each other.",
"Only a hardcore fan/lover of quiet storm moment would fine anything of any value here.",
"I never had my copy for long, giving it to my big Sister, who loved all things Johnny back then.",
"As for the more the more up-tempo songs, 'I know you Want me is OK' as is 'So gentle'.",
"This was the last Johnny Gill Cd I purchased( and I think that this was his last major solo CD release) With a voice like Mr.",
"Gill has, this is a crying shame!"
] |
When you buy a product that is used by the most professionals, with legendary musicians standing by it, you would expect a product that is without equal. With the Original CryBaby, Dunlop has somehow managed (using testimonials from the pros) to sucker countless people, myself included, into thinking this is the Wah to get.
Problems include the following:
Almost no low-end wah. Playing from a large, loud Marshall stack, if I play anything on the E6 or A5 strings and try to augment with wah you can't hardly hear any change. Granted I use very heavy distortion, but with high-end Seymour humbuckers and a Marshall stack, the sound is clean and distinguishable when not using the wah, and nearly the same when using it. For low-end I have noticed an interesting effect that IS possible though; activating the wah and then dropping it back to almost the back of the pedal and leaving it like that can make an interesting sound that would be comparable in comparison to talking normally and talking with your mouth nearly completely covered.
The other problem, which is actually present in MOST wahs (except one I'll mention in a second) is button activation. First of all, having to push the pedal UP to click it on makes it so you can't effectively start with a closed wah sound, only full open wah. Second, having to adjust the pedal just to get it to the point where it is activated uses precious milliseconds of deliberate action that could be spent focusing on that new lick you haven't perfected, or nailing every note in that solo you're performing.
When I want wah I want it now. And when I want it I want to open into wah, not have it already open when the button is pressed. And when I'm done with wah I want it off. These problems have been solved by Morley with the Bad Horsie and Bad Horsie 2 Vai Wahs. They have no button so all you do is start pushing the pedal and it auto starts the wah-wah effect. When you are done with the wah, step off the pedal and it will deactivate in less than a second and go back to normal. Also, it's on a spring which may not be ideal for some, but it will reset the pedal to the down (back) position when your foot comes off. The good thing with this is you only have to push with your toes, essentially just stepping on it, and then lightening you step to bring it back instead of adjusting pressure to the heal and pushing it back down.
All that being said, it does work and it does create a wah-wah effect (though only effective through a clean amp or in lead sequences) so you do get what was advertised and at a decent price (the Bad Horsie is around 3 times as much).
Additional Info: Mine was purchased through Amazon from Dunlop and yet still did not come with a power adapter. Battery life is very, very short. And leaving a cable plugged into the "Input" (from the guitar) WILL run the battery down, even if the cable isn't plugged into anything on the other end. It makes no sense and can cost money. | 1 | neutral | [
"When you buy a product that is used by the most professionals, with legendary musicians standing by it, you would expect a product that is without equal.",
"With the Original CryBaby, Dunlop has somehow managed (using testimonials from the pros) to sucker countless people, myself included, into thinking this is the Wah to get.",
"Problems include the following:\n\nAlmost no low-end wah.",
"Playing from a large, loud Marshall stack, if I play anything on the E6 or A5 strings and try to augment with wah you can't hardly hear any change.",
"Granted I use very heavy distortion, but with high-end Seymour humbuckers and a Marshall stack, the sound is clean and distinguishable when not using the wah, and nearly the same when using it.",
"For low-end I have noticed an interesting effect that IS possible though; activating the wah and then dropping it back to almost the back of the pedal and leaving it like that can make an interesting sound that would be comparable in comparison to talking normally and talking with your mouth nearly completely covered.",
"The other problem, which is actually present in MOST wahs (except one I'll mention in a second) is button activation.",
"First of all, having to push the pedal UP to click it on makes it so you can't effectively start with a closed wah sound, only full open wah.",
"Second, having to adjust the pedal just to get it to the point where it is activated uses precious milliseconds of deliberate action that could be spent focusing on that new lick you haven't perfected, or nailing every note in that solo you're performing.",
"When I want wah I want it now.",
"And when I want it I want to open into wah, not have it already open when the button is pressed.",
"And when I'm done with wah I want it off.",
"These problems have been solved by Morley with the Bad Horsie and Bad Horsie 2 Vai Wahs.",
"They have no button so all you do is start pushing the pedal and it auto starts the wah-wah effect.",
"When you are done with the wah, step off the pedal and it will deactivate in less than a second and go back to normal.",
"Also, it's on a spring which may not be ideal for some, but it will reset the pedal to the down (back) position when your foot comes off.",
"The good thing with this is you only have to push with your toes, essentially just stepping on it, and then lightening you step to bring it back instead of adjusting pressure to the heal and pushing it back down.",
"All that being said, it does work and it does create a wah-wah effect (though only effective through a clean amp or in lead sequences) so you do get what was advertised and at a decent price (the Bad Horsie is around 3 times as much).",
"Additional Info: Mine was purchased through Amazon from Dunlop and yet still did not come with a power adapter.",
"Battery life is very, very short.",
"And leaving a cable plugged into the \"Input\" (from the guitar) WILL run the battery down, even if the cable isn't plugged into anything on the other end.",
"It makes no sense and can cost money."
] |
I really wanted to love this game. I've loved the Wipeout series since the original. I love racing games, especially non-traditional ones. XG3 is deffinately a WipeOut knock-off. It has very cool graphics. It is a lot easier to drive than Wipeout so people who don't have much time to practice won't be frustrated. I like the idea of getting at least two cycles side by side and the weapons are easy to use. However, the league system they use is pretty lame. I just wasn't very motivated to want to go farther like I was in Wipeout or SSX. Also, while the controls are easy to understand, I had to re-program the pad to really play effectively. The default setup really stinks. Overall, the game just didn't captivate my attention. I suggest renting before buying on this one just to make sure it will yours. | 1 | neutral | [
"I really wanted to love this game.",
"I've loved the Wipeout series since the original.",
"I love racing games, especially non-traditional ones.",
"XG3 is deffinately a WipeOut knock-off.",
"It has very cool graphics.",
"It is a lot easier to drive than Wipeout so people who don't have much time to practice won't be frustrated.",
"I like the idea of getting at least two cycles side by side and the weapons are easy to use.",
"However, the league system they use is pretty lame.",
"I just wasn't very motivated to want to go farther like I was in Wipeout or SSX.",
"Also, while the controls are easy to understand, I had to re-program the pad to really play effectively.",
"The default setup really stinks.",
"Overall, the game just didn't captivate my attention.",
"I suggest renting before buying on this one just to make sure it will yours."
] |
Emmylou Harris has not released a full studio album since 2008. It hasn't been a long wait, but it's had a big payoff. It would have been hard to top her last effort, All I Intended to Be, but she hasn't quite done that yet.
Hard Bargain starts out with one of the most epic opening songs in recent memory. "The Road" is a booming tribute to Gram Parsons and the mark he made on her life and music in his short but influential life and career. It's a touching story song with an instrumental and vocal performance guaranteed to take your breath away.
"The Road" is a fitting start to an album that will take your breath away. It has all the classic elements of an Emmylou Harris album: love, loss, acceptance, and a touching love of dogs. The songs are honest and emotional. They tell stories that everyone knows, in a way only Harris could tell them. But her musical influences are more obviously diverse on Hard Bargain, taking elements from various points of her later career.
A startling rockier side to Harris is shown in songs like "Six White Cadillacs" and especially on "New Orleans." Her voice is melted into a background of pounding drums and electric guitar. Songs like "Home Sweet Home" and "Hard Bargain" are are more optimistic and poppy. They have more subdued instrumentals.
Among Harris' quieter ballads are "Nobody," "The Ship on his Arm," "My Name is Emmett Till," and "Darlin' Kate" (one being the tribute to a boy murdered in Mississippi and the last being a tribute to Canadian folk singer and friend Kate McGarrigle). All of them are powerfully delivered, but they fall unfortunately short.
"Big Black Dog" is one of the bouncier sounding songs on the album and it has the sweetest and simplest story to tell. It is just what it claims to be: a song about a big black dog that Harris rescued.
Although Harris has always sung very personal songs, Hard Bargain focuses more on her insecurities on feeling alone and on growing older in songs like "Nobody" and "Lonely Girl." It's nice to see this tender side of Harris, but neither song is particularly memorable.
Hard Bargain is full of old comforts and unexpected new developments in Harris' career. It has something for many of her fans and shifts effortlessly from one sound and mood to the next. But there are too many moments on it that fall short of the kind of masterpieces Harris has made in the past. | 1 | neutral | [
"Emmylou Harris has not released a full studio album since 2008.",
"It hasn't been a long wait, but it's had a big payoff.",
"It would have been hard to top her last effort, All I Intended to Be, but she hasn't quite done that yet.",
"Hard Bargain starts out with one of the most epic opening songs in recent memory.",
"\"The Road\" is a booming tribute to Gram Parsons and the mark he made on her life and music in his short but influential life and career.",
"It's a touching story song with an instrumental and vocal performance guaranteed to take your breath away.",
"\"The Road\" is a fitting start to an album that will take your breath away.",
"It has all the classic elements of an Emmylou Harris album: love, loss, acceptance, and a touching love of dogs.",
"The songs are honest and emotional.",
"They tell stories that everyone knows, in a way only Harris could tell them.",
"But her musical influences are more obviously diverse on Hard Bargain, taking elements from various points of her later career.",
"A startling rockier side to Harris is shown in songs like \"Six White Cadillacs\" and especially on \"New Orleans.",
"\" Her voice is melted into a background of pounding drums and electric guitar.",
"Songs like \"Home Sweet Home\" and \"Hard Bargain\" are are more optimistic and poppy.",
"They have more subdued instrumentals.",
"Among Harris' quieter ballads are \"Nobody,\" \"The Ship on his Arm,\" \"My Name is Emmett Till,\" and \"Darlin' Kate\" (one being the tribute to a boy murdered in Mississippi and the last being a tribute to Canadian folk singer and friend Kate McGarrigle).",
"All of them are powerfully delivered, but they fall unfortunately short.",
"\"Big Black Dog\" is one of the bouncier sounding songs on the album and it has the sweetest and simplest story to tell.",
"It is just what it claims to be: a song about a big black dog that Harris rescued.",
"Although Harris has always sung very personal songs, Hard Bargain focuses more on her insecurities on feeling alone and on growing older in songs like \"Nobody\" and \"Lonely Girl.",
"\" It's nice to see this tender side of Harris, but neither song is particularly memorable.",
"Hard Bargain is full of old comforts and unexpected new developments in Harris' career.",
"It has something for many of her fans and shifts effortlessly from one sound and mood to the next.",
"But there are too many moments on it that fall short of the kind of masterpieces Harris has made in the past."
] |
I'VE FINALLY GOTTEN OFF MY PROCRASTINATING REAR AND BOUGHT A DVD PLAYER. This is the first DVD I've ever watched. Maybe it's time to change my nickname. (DVDiot_y2k?)
This is a disc of Ozzy's NO MORE TEARS (TOURS) tour. The selection of songs is a far superior to his more recent BUDOKAN disc. This was Oz back when he could still rock. Before the world saw him throwing a 4X2 (That's what we call them in NZ. "Don't ask me I don't know") through his neighbour's window, before he got drunk and attempted to take Lola the adorable bulldog for a walk; and before he more recently went on a burrito diet and was most memorably seen screaming at the sea to "EFF OFF!" when his attempts to build a campfire were continuously thwarted. This was Ozzy the Crown Prince Of Darkness, not the Clown Prince.
The selection of material is pretty good (SUICIDE SOLUTION, IRON MAN, SHOT IN THE DARK etc) but best of all is the original Sabbath line-up coming together at the end for renditions of BLACK SABBATH and CHANGES. It's worth seeing this for those 2 tracks alone. The Sabs sound tighter and heavier than Ozzy's band, but really how could you expect Zakk Wylde (though a great guitarist) to upstage Tony Iommi, metal's pioneering riffmaster and one of the finest rock/metal guitarists EVER? If you must get an Ozzy concert DVD get this one, and if you must see BUDOKAN try renting it. This is far better value. | 1 | neutral | [
"I'VE FINALLY GOTTEN OFF MY PROCRASTINATING REAR AND BOUGHT A DVD PLAYER.",
"This is the first DVD I've ever watched.",
"Maybe it's time to change my nickname.",
"(DVDiot_y2k?",
")\nThis is a disc of Ozzy's NO MORE TEARS (TOURS) tour.",
"The selection of songs is a far superior to his more recent BUDOKAN disc.",
"This was Oz back when he could still rock.",
"Before the world saw him throwing a 4X2 (That's what we call them in NZ.",
"\"Don't ask me I don't know\") through his neighbour's window, before he got drunk and attempted to take Lola the adorable bulldog for a walk; and before he more recently went on a burrito diet and was most memorably seen screaming at the sea to \"EFF OFF!",
"\" when his attempts to build a campfire were continuously thwarted.",
"This was Ozzy the Crown Prince Of Darkness, not the Clown Prince.",
"The selection of material is pretty good (SUICIDE SOLUTION, IRON MAN, SHOT IN THE DARK etc) but best of all is the original Sabbath line-up coming together at the end for renditions of BLACK SABBATH and CHANGES.",
"It's worth seeing this for those 2 tracks alone.",
"The Sabs sound tighter and heavier than Ozzy's band, but really how could you expect Zakk Wylde (though a great guitarist) to upstage Tony Iommi, metal's pioneering riffmaster and one of the finest rock/metal guitarists EVER?",
"If you must get an Ozzy concert DVD get this one, and if you must see BUDOKAN try renting it.",
"This is far better value."
] |
I just got this bag.. It looks well made.. I am not a fan of the overlap cover..cause you can't unzip fast with that system..but it seems well made and lots of small pockets etc..However: It I s Too Small for BIG Lenses and Big Bodies..You need to re adjust more than you should need to for a big camera bag.
My original Lowepro Pro bag was stolen..Miss that bag.. (yes with gear inside)..That bag in now discontinued.. So this one looked half decent..
This bag shows a whole lot of potential when looking at the photo on Amazon.. but in reality..it is just too small for the following..
Two dslr with battery packs..and two large zooms mounted will not fit.. I just tried with 2 Canon 5D's with battery packs-one with a 24-70 the other with a 70-300..and NO WAY NO HOW..and there's barely room for these big lenses to sit alone...This bag needs to be a little bit larger on all dimensions.
The new Lowepro Pro that replaced the one I had is also too small and costs over 200 bucks..not worth it...I guess this Tam will do for now.. | 1 | neutral | [
"I just got this bag..",
"It looks well made..",
"I am not a fan of the overlap cover..",
"cause you can't unzip fast with that system..",
"but it seems well made and lots of small pockets etc..",
"However: It I s Too Small for BIG Lenses and Big Bodies..",
"You need to re adjust more than you should need to for a big camera bag.",
"My original Lowepro Pro bag was stolen..",
"Miss that bag..",
"(yes with gear inside)..",
"That bag in now discontinued..",
"So this one looked half decent..",
"This bag shows a whole lot of potential when looking at the photo on Amazon..",
"but in reality..",
"it is just too small for the following..",
"Two dslr with battery packs..",
"and two large zooms mounted will not fit..",
"I just tried with 2 Canon 5D's with battery packs-one with a 24-70 the other with a 70-300..",
"and NO WAY NO HOW..",
"and there's barely room for these big lenses to sit alone...",
"This bag needs to be a little bit larger on all dimensions.",
"The new Lowepro Pro that replaced the one I had is also too small and costs over 200 bucks..",
"not worth it...",
"I guess this Tam will do for now.."
] |
I must admit the book started out interesting and it pulled me in. I could tell that the writer spent more time developing the beginning of the book rather than the end. I thought the scene in the beginning where the three friends were on the porch drinking wine and the investigating the light, was quite comical. But then the story started to become rushed and contrived. The character development especially was rushed. Instead of the author telling me that certain characters liked each other, I would rather gather that information by their interaction in the book. There was no real spark between Kris and Nick, I never found myself routing for them. I would have like to have seen more tension in their relationship and less corny one-liners. The plot had some major holes. The Federal agents were not very intelligent, I think a serial killer with the IQ of 10 could have snuck passed them. There was only one sweep of the area and the agent didn't even notice the nest the serial killer made under the house? No agents secretly sweeping the area around the beach? I don't think any research was done on real life surveillance. Another part bothered me, when Kris received the text from Nick saying he was going out of town, seriously? She believed it? She had no faith in their relationship therefore at the end of the book, I felt that the couple would last a year then it would end in divorce. But in saying that, it wasn't all bad. If this was the authors first book, I actually see great potential. There were scenes in the book that were greatly written and had me rereading, I just wish more of the book was written with that much thought. And I must admit that I am intrigued by Cassie's character, I may skip to book three to read her story. | 1 | neutral | [
"I must admit the book started out interesting and it pulled me in.",
"I could tell that the writer spent more time developing the beginning of the book rather than the end.",
"I thought the scene in the beginning where the three friends were on the porch drinking wine and the investigating the light, was quite comical.",
"But then the story started to become rushed and contrived.",
"The character development especially was rushed.",
"Instead of the author telling me that certain characters liked each other, I would rather gather that information by their interaction in the book.",
"There was no real spark between Kris and Nick, I never found myself routing for them.",
"I would have like to have seen more tension in their relationship and less corny one-liners.",
"The plot had some major holes.",
"The Federal agents were not very intelligent, I think a serial killer with the IQ of 10 could have snuck passed them.",
"There was only one sweep of the area and the agent didn't even notice the nest the serial killer made under the house?",
"No agents secretly sweeping the area around the beach?",
"I don't think any research was done on real life surveillance.",
"Another part bothered me, when Kris received the text from Nick saying he was going out of town, seriously?",
"She believed it?",
"She had no faith in their relationship therefore at the end of the book, I felt that the couple would last a year then it would end in divorce.",
"But in saying that, it wasn't all bad.",
"If this was the authors first book, I actually see great potential.",
"There were scenes in the book that were greatly written and had me rereading, I just wish more of the book was written with that much thought.",
"And I must admit that I am intrigued by Cassie's character, I may skip to book three to read her story."
] |
I don't quite know how to feel about this piece. For a short, it's good. But it felt like there was far too much telling and not enough showing. I know that with scientific stuff it's kind of hard to show instead of tell, but I felt like there wasn't enough effort put into the showing and instead was excited with telling instead.
Had this been a proposal for a longer novel, I think I could have stood with the amount of tell over show. Hell, I'd absolutely love to see a full-length novel with these characters and this concept. It's a solid read, but it could have used a little more visualization and a little less text to it.
Still, give it a read and see what you think. I like it as a short, but I think I would have liked it more as a longer novel/novella.
(posted to librarything, goodreads, and shelfari) | 1 | neutral | [
"I don't quite know how to feel about this piece.",
"For a short, it's good.",
"But it felt like there was far too much telling and not enough showing.",
"I know that with scientific stuff it's kind of hard to show instead of tell, but I felt like there wasn't enough effort put into the showing and instead was excited with telling instead.",
"Had this been a proposal for a longer novel, I think I could have stood with the amount of tell over show.",
"Hell, I'd absolutely love to see a full-length novel with these characters and this concept.",
"It's a solid read, but it could have used a little more visualization and a little less text to it.",
"Still, give it a read and see what you think.",
"I like it as a short, but I think I would have liked it more as a longer novel/novella.",
"(posted to librarything, goodreads, and shelfari)"
] |
This book, as you probably already know, is based on the game Betrayal at Krondor. Wonderful game, filled with rich story plots and subplots, and most important, memorable characters.
Feist revisits this story in book form here. Unfortunately, the book reads more like a video game rather than a novel. If you're fans of the entire Riftwar Saga, then get this book to add to the collection (it's really a wonderful series). However, if you are unfamiliar with the series, this is not the book to get right away (instead, start with Magician: Apprentice and go from there). Krondor the Betrayal, and I'm sure this is the popular view, is really not a well written book, but it is an interesting story.
And, for those of you who do not know Ray Feist's work, this is very atypical. He really is a wonderful writer in the rest of the series. This volume is just an anomaly. | 1 | neutral | [
"This book, as you probably already know, is based on the game Betrayal at Krondor.",
"Wonderful game, filled with rich story plots and subplots, and most important, memorable characters.",
"Feist revisits this story in book form here.",
"Unfortunately, the book reads more like a video game rather than a novel.",
"If you're fans of the entire Riftwar Saga, then get this book to add to the collection (it's really a wonderful series).",
"However, if you are unfamiliar with the series, this is not the book to get right away (instead, start with Magician: Apprentice and go from there).",
"Krondor the Betrayal, and I'm sure this is the popular view, is really not a well written book, but it is an interesting story.",
"And, for those of you who do not know Ray Feist's work, this is very atypical.",
"He really is a wonderful writer in the rest of the series.",
"This volume is just an anomaly."
] |
I bought this mount not knowing if it would work for me. I was worried it might not fit my car's factory CD player (VW Tiguan 2013), but it did.
Some of the plastics are really good, others are OK, none are bad.
I did not give 5 stars for this productor for a few reasons:
My car's console is angled, and even though the Mountek has a swivel, its limited range doesn't allow me to set it to face me straight, which is annoying for use of my phone as GPS.
The second reason is the release mechanism, which can be hard to reach, behind the phone, on the top of the mount. I've used other mounts that have a very nice release button on the back face of the mount, which makes it much easier.
The third problem I found, and that may or may not be due to my car's CD slot, but I have to mention it: the Mountek vibrates a lot, and makes too many squeaky noise to my taste. It's worse when the phone is not in.
And a fourth issue is the screw that holds things in place, but that is definitely due to my car: the CD slot is right above the factory touch screen, which means that the screw is always hiding part of the screen. That problem is easily fixed by attaching a screwdriver driven screw, but then you are screwed when you can't find metric threaded screws...
So overall it's a decent mount, with few drawbacks, but I have to say it is not well suited for my car. | 1 | neutral | [
"I bought this mount not knowing if it would work for me.",
"I was worried it might not fit my car's factory CD player (VW Tiguan 2013), but it did.",
"Some of the plastics are really good, others are OK, none are bad.",
"I did not give 5 stars for this productor for a few reasons:\nMy car's console is angled, and even though the Mountek has a swivel, its limited range doesn't allow me to set it to face me straight, which is annoying for use of my phone as GPS.",
"The second reason is the release mechanism, which can be hard to reach, behind the phone, on the top of the mount.",
"I've used other mounts that have a very nice release button on the back face of the mount, which makes it much easier.",
"The third problem I found, and that may or may not be due to my car's CD slot, but I have to mention it: the Mountek vibrates a lot, and makes too many squeaky noise to my taste.",
"It's worse when the phone is not in.",
"And a fourth issue is the screw that holds things in place, but that is definitely due to my car: the CD slot is right above the factory touch screen, which means that the screw is always hiding part of the screen.",
"That problem is easily fixed by attaching a screwdriver driven screw, but then you are screwed when you can't find metric threaded screws...",
"So overall it's a decent mount, with few drawbacks, but I have to say it is not well suited for my car."
] |
Trumpâs lawyer calls for a special counsel investigation of alleged corruption at FBI and Justice Department
Jay Sekulow chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice introduces Republican presidential candidate and former Florida governor Jeb Bush during a presidential candidate forum at Regent University in Virginia Beach on Oct. 23 2015. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Jay Sekulow a member of the legal team counseling Trump on special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's wide-ranging Russia probe said Tuesday that a second special counsel should be appointed to focus on FBI and Justice Department investigators.
Sekulow 's call for a second special counsel was first reported Tuesday morning by Axios.
Sekulow did not allege wrongdoing on the part of Mueller or his team telling The Washington Post that his call for a second special counsel has ânothing to do with Bob Mueller.â
But Sekulow argued that alleged conflicts of interest among FBI and Justice Department officials demand a full investigation by a special counsel. He singled out a Fox News report last week that Bruce G. Ohr a senior Justice Department official was demoted amid an investigation of his contacts with Fusion GPS the opposition research firm that commissioned a salacious dossier documenting Trump's ties to Russia.
âThis is the kind of situation that in my view warrants a special counsel â Sekulow said.
Asked whether he was speaking on Trump's behalf or whether the president agrees with having a second special counsel Sekulow would not answer. He said he does not speak publicly about his conversations with the president.
Sekulow works alongside John M. Dowd another private attorney for the president and in close collaboration with Ty Cobb a White House lawyer who handles the Russia portfolio. | 1 | neutral | [
"Trumpâs lawyer calls for a special counsel investigation of alleged corruption at FBI and Justice Department\nJay Sekulow chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice introduces Republican presidential candidate and former Florida governor Jeb Bush during a presidential candidate forum at Regent University in Virginia Beach on Oct.",
"23 2015.",
"(AP Photo/Steve Helber)\nJay Sekulow a member of the legal team counseling Trump on special counsel Robert S.",
"Mueller III's wide-ranging Russia probe said Tuesday that a second special counsel should be appointed to focus on FBI and Justice Department investigators.",
"Sekulow 's call for a second special counsel was first reported Tuesday morning by Axios.",
"Sekulow did not allege wrongdoing on the part of Mueller or his team telling The Washington Post that his call for a second special counsel has ânothing to do with Bob Mueller.",
"â\nBut Sekulow argued that alleged conflicts of interest among FBI and Justice Department officials demand a full investigation by a special counsel.",
"He singled out a Fox News report last week that Bruce G.",
"Ohr a senior Justice Department official was demoted amid an investigation of his contacts with Fusion GPS the opposition research firm that commissioned a salacious dossier documenting Trump's ties to Russia.",
"âThis is the kind of situation that in my view warrants a special counsel â Sekulow said.",
"Asked whether he was speaking on Trump's behalf or whether the president agrees with having a second special counsel Sekulow would not answer.",
"He said he does not speak publicly about his conversations with the president.",
"Sekulow works alongside John M.",
"Dowd another private attorney for the president and in close collaboration with Ty Cobb a White House lawyer who handles the Russia portfolio."
] |
This is my first Submarine game, and it is different from anything other game I've tried. It is the first DVD game I've loaded on the PC and I love it. Far Cry and Doom had five or six CD's to deal with when loading and that is a real pain. Silent Hunter 3 loaded easily without any problems and seems to run flawlessly. I have an Ailenware Area 51 with an Nvidia 6800GT, 1 GB ram, PCI Express, Audigy 2 sound, and the graphics are beautiful. So far so good.
However, I think a previous reviewer who gave a 5 star rating said it best: "P.S. The game is beyond brilliant - provided you're a sub/U-Boot addict like myself... " Well, I am not a sub/U-boot addict at all, and I am having difficulty learning the most basic aspects of the game, like how to control and navigate the boat. There is a nice tutorial which comes with the game but, even though I've been through it, I am still having problems. Like with the time-compression which seems to reset to X1 and there is nothing I can do to change it. Now, is this a bug in the game or am I doing something wrong? Like when I set a navagational course and the boat doesn't go where I tell it to. Is this a bug or am I misunderstanding something? When games become so complex that they can only pander to the most extreme elements of the gaming community I have to ask whether or not the average guy should even attempt to learn them. That is, should I really spend 200 hours learning to play a game that has 50 hours worth of gameplay? Should I attempt to learn a game that has a learning curve like the slopes of Mt. Everest?? Should I learn to play SH3 or become a doctor? Choices, choices.
Well, I haven't given up yet and maybe there's still hope, if I put enough time into it.
We all have our niches in the gaming world. I am good at the Thief games, for example, and would challenge those U-Boot skippers who would mock me to try to play Thief Deadly Shadows. Have a slice of humble pie, komrade. | 1 | neutral | [
"This is my first Submarine game, and it is different from anything other game I've tried.",
"It is the first DVD game I've loaded on the PC and I love it.",
"Far Cry and Doom had five or six CD's to deal with when loading and that is a real pain.",
"Silent Hunter 3 loaded easily without any problems and seems to run flawlessly.",
"I have an Ailenware Area 51 with an Nvidia 6800GT, 1 GB ram, PCI Express, Audigy 2 sound, and the graphics are beautiful.",
"So far so good.",
"However, I think a previous reviewer who gave a 5 star rating said it best: \"P.",
"S. The game is beyond brilliant - provided you're a sub/U-Boot addict like myself...",
"\" Well, I am not a sub/U-boot addict at all, and I am having difficulty learning the most basic aspects of the game, like how to control and navigate the boat.",
"There is a nice tutorial which comes with the game but, even though I've been through it, I am still having problems.",
"Like with the time-compression which seems to reset to X1 and there is nothing I can do to change it.",
"Now, is this a bug in the game or am I doing something wrong?",
"Like when I set a navagational course and the boat doesn't go where I tell it to.",
"Is this a bug or am I misunderstanding something?",
"When games become so complex that they can only pander to the most extreme elements of the gaming community I have to ask whether or not the average guy should even attempt to learn them.",
"That is, should I really spend 200 hours learning to play a game that has 50 hours worth of gameplay?",
"Should I attempt to learn a game that has a learning curve like the slopes of Mt.",
"Everest??",
"Should I learn to play SH3 or become a doctor?",
"Choices, choices.",
"Well, I haven't given up yet and maybe there's still hope, if I put enough time into it.",
"We all have our niches in the gaming world.",
"I am good at the Thief games, for example, and would challenge those U-Boot skippers who would mock me to try to play Thief Deadly Shadows.",
"Have a slice of humble pie, komrade."
] |
Like Rush, R.E.M., The Cure and Radiohead before them, Arcade Fire seem bent on making unintelligible college-rock music that while often times musically engaging, is lyrically obtuse. One criteria that I use in determining whether an album is classic or merely just good. "The Suburbs" continues Arcade Fire's reach for artistic merits, but the album falls short--somewhere between good and very good, but not great or classic.
When I see 16 tracks on an album I get nervous. Very few artists can pull off a lengthy 16 track opus, but Arcade Fire do a reasonably good job of it. The album is not boring overall, but there are a few tracks that could have been left on the cutting room floor, or as b-sides. The quality of the musical arrangements, melodies and compositions fit together well as a whole entity, but not individually. There are no really memorable tracks here, they all kind of compliment one another.
The standout tracks to me were "Modern Man", "City With No Children", "Half Light II", "Suburban War", "We Used To Wait" and "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains". The rest of the tracks were serviceable. I have been listening to pop/rock music for so many years now that I could not help but notice a few riffs borrowed from other pop/rock songs. For example, "City With No Children" has a guitar riff that comes dangerously close to The Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" just change up slightly. "Sprawl II" has a synthesizer riff that's very similar to Julian Lennon's "Stick Around".
But it's the lyrics that I really come back to. Arcade Fire has, from the very beginning, been an intangible entity. Like R.E.M., you have to revert to the lyric book just to figure out what they're singing about, but even then you are left with a rather oblique picture. It wasn't until later in their career, that R.E.M. started writing songs that were more accessible, and their popularity grew exponentially. For their first four albums, they were relatively obscure and mainly college rock. Fellow countrymen, Rush, had their first seven albums filled with fantasy/sci-fi themes that really didn't connect to a larger audience, and it wasn't until their eighth album that they really hit their stride combining lyrics and music as a whole. I feel that same issue plagues Arcade Fire. "The Suburbs" is not accessible. No matter how many times I reviewed the lyric sheet, I found my mind wandering off and listening to the melodies and arrangements instead.
Musically, the band has changed slightly from album to album, but they are still recognizable as Arcade Fire. I guess what I am getting at here is that the band has room to grow. They are not a winner right out of the gate like some bands, nor are they one dimensional like some other bands. They sit poised to be as great as R.E.M. or Rush or even Radiohead, but they are not quite there yet. They seem to feeling their way still, but I believe they are capable of great things musically--it's there, when you listen to what they are doing, they just need a producer to harness and capture their essence.
Here's how "The Suburbs" compares to Arcade Fire's other works:
2004 Funeral: Four Stars
2007 Neon Bible: Three and a Half Stars
2010 The Suburbs: Three and a Half Stars | 1 | neutral | [
"Like Rush, R.",
"E.M., The Cure and Radiohead before them, Arcade Fire seem bent on making unintelligible college-rock music that while often times musically engaging, is lyrically obtuse.",
"One criteria that I use in determining whether an album is classic or merely just good.",
"\"The Suburbs\" continues Arcade Fire's reach for artistic merits, but the album falls short--somewhere between good and very good, but not great or classic.",
"When I see 16 tracks on an album I get nervous.",
"Very few artists can pull off a lengthy 16 track opus, but Arcade Fire do a reasonably good job of it.",
"The album is not boring overall, but there are a few tracks that could have been left on the cutting room floor, or as b-sides.",
"The quality of the musical arrangements, melodies and compositions fit together well as a whole entity, but not individually.",
"There are no really memorable tracks here, they all kind of compliment one another.",
"The standout tracks to me were \"Modern Man\", \"City With No Children\", \"Half Light II\", \"Suburban War\", \"We Used To Wait\" and \"Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains\".",
"The rest of the tracks were serviceable.",
"I have been listening to pop/rock music for so many years now that I could not help but notice a few riffs borrowed from other pop/rock songs.",
"For example, \"City With No Children\" has a guitar riff that comes dangerously close to The Rolling Stones' \"Street Fighting Man\" just change up slightly.",
"\"Sprawl II\" has a synthesizer riff that's very similar to Julian Lennon's \"Stick Around\".",
"But it's the lyrics that I really come back to.",
"Arcade Fire has, from the very beginning, been an intangible entity.",
"Like R.",
"E.M., you have to revert to the lyric book just to figure out what they're singing about, but even then you are left with a rather oblique picture.",
"It wasn't until later in their career, that R.",
"E.M. started writing songs that were more accessible, and their popularity grew exponentially.",
"For their first four albums, they were relatively obscure and mainly college rock.",
"Fellow countrymen, Rush, had their first seven albums filled with fantasy/sci-fi themes that really didn't connect to a larger audience, and it wasn't until their eighth album that they really hit their stride combining lyrics and music as a whole.",
"I feel that same issue plagues Arcade Fire.",
"\"The Suburbs\" is not accessible.",
"No matter how many times I reviewed the lyric sheet, I found my mind wandering off and listening to the melodies and arrangements instead.",
"Musically, the band has changed slightly from album to album, but they are still recognizable as Arcade Fire.",
"I guess what I am getting at here is that the band has room to grow.",
"They are not a winner right out of the gate like some bands, nor are they one dimensional like some other bands.",
"They sit poised to be as great as R.",
"E.M. or Rush or even Radiohead, but they are not quite there yet.",
"They seem to feeling their way still, but I believe they are capable of great things musically--it's there, when you listen to what they are doing, they just need a producer to harness and capture their essence.",
"Here's how \"The Suburbs\" compares to Arcade Fire's other works:\n\n2004 Funeral: Four Stars\n2007 Neon Bible: Three and a Half Stars\n2010 The Suburbs: Three and a Half Stars"
] |
Paper folders are very expensive. This one is not and with inexpensive stuff you have trade offs. I have used Yale desktop letter folders before. All have the same issues. If you are looking to just fold a page or two at a time and don't mind a couple of wrinkled folds every 30 or 40 sheets, then this is for you. The problem that I have found with every Yale folder that I have used is that you have to be perfect when you drop the paper in to be folded. Off just a tad and it folds with wrinkles. Sometimes fairly badly. There does not seem to be a way around it. If the unit had guides on the sides to perfectly align the drop in it would be fantastic. As it is, if the letters are personally addressed and you need it to be perfect, you will have a couple or do-overs. For the price, well worth it. Just be patient and careful. | 1 | neutral | [
"Paper folders are very expensive.",
"This one is not and with inexpensive stuff you have trade offs.",
"I have used Yale desktop letter folders before.",
"All have the same issues.",
"If you are looking to just fold a page or two at a time and don't mind a couple of wrinkled folds every 30 or 40 sheets, then this is for you.",
"The problem that I have found with every Yale folder that I have used is that you have to be perfect when you drop the paper in to be folded.",
"Off just a tad and it folds with wrinkles.",
"Sometimes fairly badly.",
"There does not seem to be a way around it.",
"If the unit had guides on the sides to perfectly align the drop in it would be fantastic.",
"As it is, if the letters are personally addressed and you need it to be perfect, you will have a couple or do-overs.",
"For the price, well worth it.",
"Just be patient and careful."
] |
Beatmania is the predecessor of the insanly popular Dance Dance Revolution series. Yes, even though this is the first home installment of Beatmania in the U.S., this game actually game out in Japanese arcades in 1997, and spawned the entire genre of rhythm games, from DDR to Donkey Konga and Guitar Hero.
As a huge fan and experienced player of DDR and other rhythm games, I was anxious to try this game, as the arcade version is rare in American arcades. Alas, I found it lacking in comparison to the more recent games.
I have been told by experienced Beatmania players that the game is satisfying like no other once you learn how to do it. I've been playing nightly for more than a week now, and I still haven't really gotten a "feel" for the controls (unlike games such as Guitar Hero, which felt natural right out of the box). The difficulty of the songs never seems to be just right - it ramps immediately from "so easy it's boring" to "insanely hard." Even songs that are rated 3 or 4 stars out of 10 are incredibly hard - and the strict scoring system makes it even worse.
The music selection on this game is very nice, using many songs that have been featured in past arcade and home versions of DDR (actually, most of these songs originated on arcade versions of Beatmania). However, you can't enjoy the music if you're playing poorly, because the music doesn't sound right unless you hit every note perfectly. I'm also annoyed by the fact that only a certain portion of the songlist is available to you on the first and second rounds of each game.
I am impressed by the high quality of the controller, but I'm not exactly sure how the seven keys are supposed to emulate a DJ station. It's more like playing a piano.
I'm skeptical about this game's chances for success in the U.S. Most experienced players will be disappointed with this game's small songlist and lack of exclusives, as many of them have already imported the numerous Japanese titles. Meanwhile, new players such as myself will be stymied by the extreme difficulty and non-user-friendly interface.
I'm glad this game came out, but now that I've experienced it, I think Konami should refocus its efforts on the much more successful and accessible DDR. | 1 | neutral | [
"Beatmania is the predecessor of the insanly popular Dance Dance Revolution series.",
"Yes, even though this is the first home installment of Beatmania in the U.",
"S., this game actually game out in Japanese arcades in 1997, and spawned the entire genre of rhythm games, from DDR to Donkey Konga and Guitar Hero.",
"As a huge fan and experienced player of DDR and other rhythm games, I was anxious to try this game, as the arcade version is rare in American arcades.",
"Alas, I found it lacking in comparison to the more recent games.",
"I have been told by experienced Beatmania players that the game is satisfying like no other once you learn how to do it.",
"I've been playing nightly for more than a week now, and I still haven't really gotten a \"feel\" for the controls (unlike games such as Guitar Hero, which felt natural right out of the box).",
"The difficulty of the songs never seems to be just right - it ramps immediately from \"so easy it's boring\" to \"insanely hard.",
"\" Even songs that are rated 3 or 4 stars out of 10 are incredibly hard - and the strict scoring system makes it even worse.",
"The music selection on this game is very nice, using many songs that have been featured in past arcade and home versions of DDR (actually, most of these songs originated on arcade versions of Beatmania).",
"However, you can't enjoy the music if you're playing poorly, because the music doesn't sound right unless you hit every note perfectly.",
"I'm also annoyed by the fact that only a certain portion of the songlist is available to you on the first and second rounds of each game.",
"I am impressed by the high quality of the controller, but I'm not exactly sure how the seven keys are supposed to emulate a DJ station.",
"It's more like playing a piano.",
"I'm skeptical about this game's chances for success in the U.",
"S. Most experienced players will be disappointed with this game's small songlist and lack of exclusives, as many of them have already imported the numerous Japanese titles.",
"Meanwhile, new players such as myself will be stymied by the extreme difficulty and non-user-friendly interface.",
"I'm glad this game came out, but now that I've experienced it, I think Konami should refocus its efforts on the much more successful and accessible DDR."
] |
The book starts off great. The first two hundred pages with its explanation of the tribe and the brothers who are the chiefs sons are truly engrossing. Unfortunately it tapers off from there. About the time you hit page 300 the book is basically over. the author however decides to babble for abouta hundred pages or so before he finally ties up some loose ends. Another disappointment is the protagonist, Saban, who starts out likeable enough but ends up being somewhat annoying and weak. His counterparts his wives, his war chief brother and his club footed brother are far more interesting characters.
While Cornwell's explanation of Stonehenges purpose is nothing out of the ordinary his description of its possible use is quite interesting. The best part about the book is the imaginary mythology that Cornwell has created for the tribe and their worship of sundry deity. For example, in the novel the tribe takes their dead (and there are many) to the death place where they allow the body to be consumed by vultures and other birds. Students of religion will recognize this as a Zorastrian custom, that began in Iran about 3000 BC.
All in all the book is not too bad but on the other hand it really isn't all that good either. | 1 | neutral | [
"The book starts off great.",
"The first two hundred pages with its explanation of the tribe and the brothers who are the chiefs sons are truly engrossing.",
"Unfortunately it tapers off from there.",
"About the time you hit page 300 the book is basically over.",
"the author however decides to babble for abouta hundred pages or so before he finally ties up some loose ends.",
"Another disappointment is the protagonist, Saban, who starts out likeable enough but ends up being somewhat annoying and weak.",
"His counterparts his wives, his war chief brother and his club footed brother are far more interesting characters.",
"While Cornwell's explanation of Stonehenges purpose is nothing out of the ordinary his description of its possible use is quite interesting.",
"The best part about the book is the imaginary mythology that Cornwell has created for the tribe and their worship of sundry deity.",
"For example, in the novel the tribe takes their dead (and there are many) to the death place where they allow the body to be consumed by vultures and other birds.",
"Students of religion will recognize this as a Zorastrian custom, that began in Iran about 3000 BC.",
"All in all the book is not too bad but on the other hand it really isn't all that good either."
] |
First off, if you HAVEN'T heard the remastered and expanded original cast album of Finian's Rainbow, don't fret; you aren't missing much. This remaster DOES bring to light many nuances hidden on the previous CD version, which is what we usually expect in a remastered CD. I would be more than happy to give this CD 5 stars, except that the remastering process also brought the SURFACE NOISE on the original recording discs to light as well.
According to the booklet, the sources used for this CD are not the same recording discs used since the album was released in 1947. This CD is taken from alternate discs (of the same takes) that were stored unplayed for more than 50 years. These discs supposedly had fewer marks and blemishes on the playing surfaces than the original discs. The noise is not a very major problem, but it is evident on this version where it was not on the previous CD release. The distortion and noise in the show's best song, "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" is pretty bad. There is a previously unreleased track on this CD which, according to the booklet, had a swishing noise on the recording disc. This swish was digitally edited out and is not audible on that particular track. Why the same treatment wasn't applied to the rest of the scratches and pops is beyond me.
If you can get beyond the surface noise (I can't), the album is not too bad. The cast sings very well. But I would suggest that you look for the previous CD release of Finian. The monaural sound on that album is very clean and clear, with little or no evidence whatsoever of surface noise. | 1 | neutral | [
"First off, if you HAVEN'T heard the remastered and expanded original cast album of Finian's Rainbow, don't fret; you aren't missing much.",
"This remaster DOES bring to light many nuances hidden on the previous CD version, which is what we usually expect in a remastered CD.",
"I would be more than happy to give this CD 5 stars, except that the remastering process also brought the SURFACE NOISE on the original recording discs to light as well.",
"According to the booklet, the sources used for this CD are not the same recording discs used since the album was released in 1947.",
"This CD is taken from alternate discs (of the same takes) that were stored unplayed for more than 50 years.",
"These discs supposedly had fewer marks and blemishes on the playing surfaces than the original discs.",
"The noise is not a very major problem, but it is evident on this version where it was not on the previous CD release.",
"The distortion and noise in the show's best song, \"How Are Things in Glocca Morra?",
"\" is pretty bad.",
"There is a previously unreleased track on this CD which, according to the booklet, had a swishing noise on the recording disc.",
"This swish was digitally edited out and is not audible on that particular track.",
"Why the same treatment wasn't applied to the rest of the scratches and pops is beyond me.",
"If you can get beyond the surface noise (I can't), the album is not too bad.",
"The cast sings very well.",
"But I would suggest that you look for the previous CD release of Finian.",
"The monaural sound on that album is very clean and clear, with little or no evidence whatsoever of surface noise."
] |
I've used this for over 3 weeks now with no results noticed. I like the clean smell of the product, but that's the only positive thing I can really say about it. I already exfoliate my skin almost daily, so perhaps this product is for someone that doesn't care for their skin as much as I do already, but minimal steps to take care of your skin does not have to cost a fortune. Drugstore exfoliating products work as well as the expensive ones, in my experience.
This set contains two products to be used simultaneously, starting with the first step, which is a detoxifying primer. After this product is applied, you wait one minute before applying the second step, an AHA activator, on top of the first product still on your face. The second application is kept on for 3-5 minutes, then you rinse it all off.
I experienced some slight burning, which is listed as normal on the packaging insert, and some redness each time I used this set. My face feels soft, but it always does after exfoliating my skin. Perhaps there is a bit of puffiness, which might be confused with a reduction in lines, but I am not convinced puffy is better than non-puffy.
My face feels kind of sore and raw after each treatment. It does not feel tight, but feels sore. I experienced discomfort around my nose and where my glasses rest. I am not considering these to be positive side effects of the Glycolic Peel.
I can't see any advantage to using this product. Again, daily exfoliation with drugstore brand facial scrubs seem to have pretty similar results. | 1 | neutral | [
"I've used this for over 3 weeks now with no results noticed.",
"I like the clean smell of the product, but that's the only positive thing I can really say about it.",
"I already exfoliate my skin almost daily, so perhaps this product is for someone that doesn't care for their skin as much as I do already, but minimal steps to take care of your skin does not have to cost a fortune.",
"Drugstore exfoliating products work as well as the expensive ones, in my experience.",
"This set contains two products to be used simultaneously, starting with the first step, which is a detoxifying primer.",
"After this product is applied, you wait one minute before applying the second step, an AHA activator, on top of the first product still on your face.",
"The second application is kept on for 3-5 minutes, then you rinse it all off.",
"I experienced some slight burning, which is listed as normal on the packaging insert, and some redness each time I used this set.",
"My face feels soft, but it always does after exfoliating my skin.",
"Perhaps there is a bit of puffiness, which might be confused with a reduction in lines, but I am not convinced puffy is better than non-puffy.",
"My face feels kind of sore and raw after each treatment.",
"It does not feel tight, but feels sore.",
"I experienced discomfort around my nose and where my glasses rest.",
"I am not considering these to be positive side effects of the Glycolic Peel.",
"I can't see any advantage to using this product.",
"Again, daily exfoliation with drugstore brand facial scrubs seem to have pretty similar results."
] |
On a world that depends on magical energy for it's motive power two races vie for control of the scarce source of that power - spirit stones. Humans seek them out to run their maachines, and the Deimos, or demons, seek them because their very nature is magical. Children of a rare Deimos/Human relationship two brothers who were seperated at birth are drawn into a web of conflict that makes them mortal enemies - each raised by a different race, each sworn to defend their own by killing the opposite. Kharg and Darc are their names and this is the story of how they discovered that there are even worse enemies out to destroy them both.
The game is a standard RPG in format, but shifts the player back and forth between Darc's demon quest abd Kharg's human one. As the game builds the player can select characters for battles, and chose how individuals will develop skills. The plot meanders back and forth across the face of the world in carefully orchestrated fashion, the only variable being how many random conflicts one finds. You need a large number of these, since money and spirit stones are extremely scarce commodities. So hard to find that their acquisition will become the primary fixation of the game.
The reason for this is that you have to stop fighting and actually pick up your winnings during the battle, rather than receive a lump sum payment. As a player who likes to acquire new weapons and skills, I found this irritating - too often you leave a titanic struggle with almost nothing to show for it. The other big flaw in the game is that it is completely linear. The game makes sure that you always do the right thing in the right order, which limits its replayability. Many people are comfortable with this kind of game, but I find that, once you taste freedom, you don't want to head pack.
But most of my issues with Arc the Lad have to do with playing it right after playing Final Fantasy X-2. The result is that I became acutely aware of it's shortcomings. Of course, FFX-2 was created to be an extravaganza, and Arc the Lad was developed to be something less - just another decent, playable RPG. Thus the plot, which is really adequate for an RPG, comes of as glaringly tepid and character development seems sketchy and archetypical. Yet, had I played this a year ago I would have liked it much more. In any case, Arc the Lad is quite playable, even if it fails to meet the compelling quality of some of the releases of the past few years. | 1 | neutral | [
"On a world that depends on magical energy for it's motive power two races vie for control of the scarce source of that power - spirit stones.",
"Humans seek them out to run their maachines, and the Deimos, or demons, seek them because their very nature is magical.",
"Children of a rare Deimos/Human relationship two brothers who were seperated at birth are drawn into a web of conflict that makes them mortal enemies - each raised by a different race, each sworn to defend their own by killing the opposite.",
"Kharg and Darc are their names and this is the story of how they discovered that there are even worse enemies out to destroy them both.",
"The game is a standard RPG in format, but shifts the player back and forth between Darc's demon quest abd Kharg's human one.",
"As the game builds the player can select characters for battles, and chose how individuals will develop skills.",
"The plot meanders back and forth across the face of the world in carefully orchestrated fashion, the only variable being how many random conflicts one finds.",
"You need a large number of these, since money and spirit stones are extremely scarce commodities.",
"So hard to find that their acquisition will become the primary fixation of the game.",
"The reason for this is that you have to stop fighting and actually pick up your winnings during the battle, rather than receive a lump sum payment.",
"As a player who likes to acquire new weapons and skills, I found this irritating - too often you leave a titanic struggle with almost nothing to show for it.",
"The other big flaw in the game is that it is completely linear.",
"The game makes sure that you always do the right thing in the right order, which limits its replayability.",
"Many people are comfortable with this kind of game, but I find that, once you taste freedom, you don't want to head pack.",
"But most of my issues with Arc the Lad have to do with playing it right after playing Final Fantasy X-2.",
"The result is that I became acutely aware of it's shortcomings.",
"Of course, FFX-2 was created to be an extravaganza, and Arc the Lad was developed to be something less - just another decent, playable RPG.",
"Thus the plot, which is really adequate for an RPG, comes of as glaringly tepid and character development seems sketchy and archetypical.",
"Yet, had I played this a year ago I would have liked it much more.",
"In any case, Arc the Lad is quite playable, even if it fails to meet the compelling quality of some of the releases of the past few years."
] |
Being a copper artisan with 16 years plus experience, I may be the wrong guy to critique this book. But, you knew I was going ahead anyway didn't you? ... From my perspective, it fell short in terms of giving sufficient information to truly launch a deeper involvement with copper. It will not hurt the beginner, but knowing that a few simple tools might get you started may lead to frustration when a reader finds how many more tools, chemicals, supplies, disposables, etc, etc. are truly a part of creating a fine finished item. If purchased, make it a part of your library, not THE library. The author is laudable in trying to do something that is difficult at best. I take nothing away from him ... I simply know that I now have a quarter of million dollars worth of tooling, equipment, supplies, etc. and ya know whut, it ain't enough. | 1 | neutral | [
"Being a copper artisan with 16 years plus experience, I may be the wrong guy to critique this book.",
"But, you knew I was going ahead anyway didn't you?",
"...",
"From my perspective, it fell short in terms of giving sufficient information to truly launch a deeper involvement with copper.",
"It will not hurt the beginner, but knowing that a few simple tools might get you started may lead to frustration when a reader finds how many more tools, chemicals, supplies, disposables, etc, etc.",
"are truly a part of creating a fine finished item.",
"If purchased, make it a part of your library, not THE library.",
"The author is laudable in trying to do something that is difficult at best.",
"I take nothing away from him...",
"I simply know that I now have a quarter of million dollars worth of tooling, equipment, supplies, etc.",
"and ya know whut, it ain't enough."
] |
The Nintendo GameBoy Advanced is a good system. It has great graphics for a handheld. 32-Bit. The sound is also good. The screen is fairly good,and the size isn't bad. There's one problem. The Light. No BackLight is really disappointing. To bad for a good system.
If you were to buy one,beware,you will always have to keep your light on in your room or keep the screen near the glare of the Sun. There is no BackLight to see the screen which is really annoying. It's impossible to see it in the dark. I recommend the GameBoy SP. It plays all GameBoy games,has a BackLight,It's small,so it fit in your pocket,two sides to protect the screen,and you can charge it. The Nintendo 3DS is also better. Two screens,Nintendo games to downloads,and can take videos. The same with the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DS Lite and Original DS. They are much better then the Nintendo GameBoy Advanced. It's not a bad system,but yet not the best. I remember playing pokemon Silver on it,and I couldn't see the Screen!!!!
Besides the problem,it's still fun to play with. It's much upgraded then the classic Nintendo GameBoy Color. The sound for the Nintendo GameBoy Advanced is great. The graphics are also amazing. There are plenty of good games to play on it. Golden Sun is one to try out. It has all sorts of magic,and is a RPG. Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green is on too. Great GamePlay,graphics,and improvements. Sonic Advanced is another fun looking one. I heard you can connect your Nintendo GameBoy Advanced with Sonic Advanced in it to trade you Chao from Sonic Adventure Battle 2 from the Nintendo GameCube. There is also Super Mario Advanced,or something like that. Final Fantasy is also for the Nintendo GameBoy Advanced. There are plenty of fun games to play on it.
I can't recommend this system. The poor screen might not be good for younger gamers. Despite this problem,it's still one of the best selling Game Systems of all time. Plus,with fun gameplay,you can't go wrong this game system. | 1 | neutral | [
"The Nintendo GameBoy Advanced is a good system.",
"It has great graphics for a handheld.",
"32-Bit.",
"The sound is also good.",
"The screen is fairly good,and the size isn't bad.",
"There's one problem.",
"The Light.",
"No BackLight is really disappointing.",
"To bad for a good system.",
"If you were to buy one,beware,you will always have to keep your light on in your room or keep the screen near the glare of the Sun.",
"There is no BackLight to see the screen which is really annoying.",
"It's impossible to see it in the dark.",
"I recommend the GameBoy SP.",
"It plays all GameBoy games,has a BackLight,It's small,so it fit in your pocket,two sides to protect the screen,and you can charge it.",
"The Nintendo 3DS is also better.",
"Two screens,Nintendo games to downloads,and can take videos.",
"The same with the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DS Lite and Original DS.",
"They are much better then the Nintendo GameBoy Advanced.",
"It's not a bad system,but yet not the best.",
"I remember playing pokemon Silver on it,and I couldn't see the Screen!!!!",
"Besides the problem,it's still fun to play with.",
"It's much upgraded then the classic Nintendo GameBoy Color.",
"The sound for the Nintendo GameBoy Advanced is great.",
"The graphics are also amazing.",
"There are plenty of good games to play on it.",
"Golden Sun is one to try out.",
"It has all sorts of magic,and is a RPG.",
"Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green is on too.",
"Great GamePlay,graphics,and improvements.",
"Sonic Advanced is another fun looking one.",
"I heard you can connect your Nintendo GameBoy Advanced with Sonic Advanced in it to trade you Chao from Sonic Adventure Battle 2 from the Nintendo GameCube.",
"There is also Super Mario Advanced,or something like that.",
"Final Fantasy is also for the Nintendo GameBoy Advanced.",
"There are plenty of fun games to play on it.",
"I can't recommend this system.",
"The poor screen might not be good for younger gamers.",
"Despite this problem,it's still one of the best selling Game Systems of all time.",
"Plus,with fun gameplay,you can't go wrong this game system."
] |
I was inspired by the upcoming film to check out "Ella Enchanted." I understand that the director is the same person who mutilated "The Princess Diaries" adaptation, so figured there might be some similarity between the two books. There is--sort of. Both are told in first person. Both have clever teenaged girls as main characters. But there the similarity pretty much ends.
"Ella Enchanted" is an enjoyable read, but it falls flat in many ways. The characters are themselves rather flat; Ella is only interesting b/c she's the narrator. Other characters, like Char and Areida, are simply "there." It's difficult to buy the romance b/w Ella and Char, simply b/c the author pretty much sprung it on us; there's no real build-up. The plot itself is a little flat; it also has several threads that are never picked up and finished. Things happen that seem to make little sense, narratively speaking.
However, that said, I won't argue with the glowing reviews given by previous young readers. I admit I'm twenty-three years old and might not be "enchanted" by the same aspects of a young adult novel as a younger reader might be. But if you're like me--an older reader who enjoys reading children's and young adult literature--you might not want to expect too much from "Ella Enchanted." It's a cute novel, and you'll probably want to read it before seeing the film, but it nowhere approaches other similar efforts like "The Princess Diaries," "I Capture the Castle," and "Beauty." (The last is another retold fairytale by Robin McKinley--highly recommended, as are the other two). | 1 | neutral | [
"I was inspired by the upcoming film to check out \"Ella Enchanted.",
"\" I understand that the director is the same person who mutilated \"The Princess Diaries\" adaptation, so figured there might be some similarity between the two books.",
"There is--sort of.",
"Both are told in first person.",
"Both have clever teenaged girls as main characters.",
"But there the similarity pretty much ends.",
"\"Ella Enchanted\" is an enjoyable read, but it falls flat in many ways.",
"The characters are themselves rather flat; Ella is only interesting b/c she's the narrator.",
"Other characters, like Char and Areida, are simply \"there.",
"\" It's difficult to buy the romance b/w Ella and Char, simply b/c the author pretty much sprung it on us; there's no real build-up.",
"The plot itself is a little flat; it also has several threads that are never picked up and finished.",
"Things happen that seem to make little sense, narratively speaking.",
"However, that said, I won't argue with the glowing reviews given by previous young readers.",
"I admit I'm twenty-three years old and might not be \"enchanted\" by the same aspects of a young adult novel as a younger reader might be.",
"But if you're like me--an older reader who enjoys reading children's and young adult literature--you might not want to expect too much from \"Ella Enchanted.",
"\" It's a cute novel, and you'll probably want to read it before seeing the film, but it nowhere approaches other similar efforts like \"The Princess Diaries,\" \"I Capture the Castle,\" and \"Beauty.",
"\" (The last is another retold fairytale by Robin McKinley--highly recommended, as are the other two)."
] |
I haven't used QuickBooks for Mac in several years so I was eager to see what improvements have been made. QuickBooks has the small business accounting software market almost to itself, although mostly on Windows. Apple's market share in computing significantly increased during my hiatus and there has been a shift towards the internet, mobile devices and, more recently, the cloud. Whether QuickBooks will fully embrace these changes has yet to be seen. Intuit provides more services to small businesses than it used to and it is even teaming up with Bank of America to integrate software and financial services, although whether that will benefit small business owners, it is also too soon to know.
The basic software seems to be the same with tweaks and incremental improvements rather than a complete rebuild from the ground up. It still doesn't do everything for everyone but it will allow the majority of small businesses owners to take care of most of the day-to-day bookkeeping and allow an accountant to use the files to submit a tax return, and at a very reasonable cost compared to what this would have cost just a few decades ago.
Some of the newer features are being able to have multiple users with access restricted only to certain functions such as payroll, tracking project time and expenses and billing them to clients, and exporting report data to Microsoft Excel. Incredibly, batched importing of online banking transactions is new for 2012. The overall look and feel has also been improved for Mac users.
Still, the Mac version does not have all the capabilities and features of the Windows version and it doesn't seem that this will change. Apple computers can now run Windows and Windows-compatible software and the two operating systems have also become more similar. So for most small business owners with Apple computers, the real question is not whether to use QuickBooks but whether to use the Windows or Mac version. Ironically, at a time when Apple operating systems are gaining market share, starting out on or switching over to QuickBooks for Windows is now a much better option for Mac users than it ever has been. | 1 | neutral | [
"I haven't used QuickBooks for Mac in several years so I was eager to see what improvements have been made.",
"QuickBooks has the small business accounting software market almost to itself, although mostly on Windows.",
"Apple's market share in computing significantly increased during my hiatus and there has been a shift towards the internet, mobile devices and, more recently, the cloud.",
"Whether QuickBooks will fully embrace these changes has yet to be seen.",
"Intuit provides more services to small businesses than it used to and it is even teaming up with Bank of America to integrate software and financial services, although whether that will benefit small business owners, it is also too soon to know.",
"The basic software seems to be the same with tweaks and incremental improvements rather than a complete rebuild from the ground up.",
"It still doesn't do everything for everyone but it will allow the majority of small businesses owners to take care of most of the day-to-day bookkeeping and allow an accountant to use the files to submit a tax return, and at a very reasonable cost compared to what this would have cost just a few decades ago.",
"Some of the newer features are being able to have multiple users with access restricted only to certain functions such as payroll, tracking project time and expenses and billing them to clients, and exporting report data to Microsoft Excel.",
"Incredibly, batched importing of online banking transactions is new for 2012.",
"The overall look and feel has also been improved for Mac users.",
"Still, the Mac version does not have all the capabilities and features of the Windows version and it doesn't seem that this will change.",
"Apple computers can now run Windows and Windows-compatible software and the two operating systems have also become more similar.",
"So for most small business owners with Apple computers, the real question is not whether to use QuickBooks but whether to use the Windows or Mac version.",
"Ironically, at a time when Apple operating systems are gaining market share, starting out on or switching over to QuickBooks for Windows is now a much better option for Mac users than it ever has been."
] |
Bonus Intercepted Podcast: The Laundering of American Empire
The Trump presidency is itself a provocation. Trump is a billionaire a reality TV star a congenital liar who is seemingly addicted to a social media app which he uses to live-tweet his responses to a morning television show. The public is often bombarded with the phenomenon of his inner thoughts being pushed to mobile devices not only by Twitter but by pretty much every news outlet on the planet. And with good reason. He controls an arsenal of nuclear weapons authorizes covert action and has vast surveillance capacities at his fingertips. Trump also brought with him to Washington a team of radical ideologues and outsiders — people like Steve Bannon Stephen Miller and Sebastian Gorka. His attorney general Jeff Sessions has a long history of racism including — according to his former associates — using the N-word and “joking” about joining the Ku Klux Klan.
Trump has given encouragement to white supremacists and neo-Nazis at times through his public statements and at others by what he doesn’t say. And Trump is the master of the dog whistle. See for example Trump saying there are good people on both sides in the aftermath of the horrible white supremacist violence in Charlotte. Or how Trump and his acolytes constantly talk about violence in Chicago as a substitute for the racist perspective they only want thinly veiled. He calls black athletes “sons of bitches ” says the mass shooter in Las Vegas was “probably smart” and constantly portrays undocumented immigrants as a collective group of gang members rapists and murderers.
There is no doubt that the way Trump talks and tweets the people he has chosen to surround himself with and the policies he has announced or implemented are all evidence that this is a dangerous administration. But how dangerous relative to past U.S. presidents? If you talk to many Democrats on Capitol Hill Trump is the most dangerous president in U.S. history. He has also given rise to a new alliance of discredited hawkish neocons and MSNBC hosts and analysts. Former directors of the CIA NSA and DNI have all clamored to condemn him and assure the public that these heroic spy agencies are protecting the country from the madman inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney implemented a global torture network began shipping people snatched from across the globe to Guantánamo prison invaded Iraq and Afghanistan and conducted mass surveillance operations against Americans. The list of horrible presidents who caused unimaginable death and destruction across the globe is vast. None of this absolves Trump one bit. But it is important to keep perspective rooted in fact and history.
There is a particular risk in erasing the line between horrible things Trump does with horrible things the U.S. has done for a long time and acting like it is all Trump . It’s a complicated conversation but it is one we should have. It means exploring the roots of white supremacy in the U.S. the way American wars are constantly put through a laundering process to make them seem noble and brave the way “real American” has been defined and continues to be defined in our society. For eight years we had the first black president in U.S. history and now we have a reality TV host who spends a great deal of time tweeting and watching TV. So what is unique to Trump and what is embedded in the politics of empire in the U.S.?
You know the other thing that I would add to what you’re saying though is that there’s an interesting kind of flipside to Obama’s careful kind of prophylactic imagination around the use of American violence and that is that it sort of draws the ire of the Right. So Trump comes in and basically says you know: We’re going to take the gloves off because this hasn’t worked and now we’re going to sort of free the commanders in the field to use maximum discretion and we’ve already seen what’s happening with that.
JS: Discretion sounds like almost like they’re being — I mean I know what the words means but he ’s widened the rules of engagement so they can kill more civilians if they feel like it’s necessary.
JS: Right I mean it’s more often aimed at that the police force needs to more accurately reflect the racial or religious makeup of communities. And I wonder how you push back against or respond when people say “Look yes those extreme things Professor Singh that you’re about they happen everyone knows that they happen. Are we perfect right now? No we’re not perfect. But we just had two terms of a black president. We came very close to having a woman as president she got three million more votes in the popular election than Donald Trump . Police forces across the country are aggressively recruiting and hiring people of color people who speak multiple languages. Yes there still is racism but look at all of the progress that we’ve made and how can you argue that America remains a racist country when a black man was president for eight years?”
JS: I think of that I mean they knew they weren’t going to get anywhere with that and it was a huge part of the ascent of Trump .
NS: A huge part of the ascent of Trump . Meanwhile Obama’s deporting people en masse strengthening the deportation machinery giving speeches really that are completely consistent with the language of criminalizing immigration violations. Why should immigration violations be in the domain of the criminal? I mean these are basically for the most part people who are trying to make a living in the United States many for almost a generation. Right? This could be talked about in a completely different way. Why do we adopt the right’s language that anyone here without papers is somehow a criminal? Why would that be the case?
And now Trump of course accentuates the kind of occasional horrific criminal violation by someone who is out of status and uses that to recursively characterize entire populations. Right? In order to sharpen this idea of the divide between the native-born and the foreign-born. | 1 | neutral | [
"Bonus Intercepted Podcast: The Laundering of American Empire\nThe Trump presidency is itself a provocation.",
"Trump is a billionaire a reality TV star a congenital liar who is seemingly addicted to a social media app which he uses to live-tweet his responses to a morning television show.",
"The public is often bombarded with the phenomenon of his inner thoughts being pushed to mobile devices not only by Twitter but by pretty much every news outlet on the planet.",
"And with good reason.",
"He controls an arsenal of nuclear weapons authorizes covert action and has vast surveillance capacities at his fingertips.",
"Trump also brought with him to Washington a team of radical ideologues and outsiders — people like Steve Bannon Stephen Miller and Sebastian Gorka.",
"His attorney general Jeff Sessions has a long history of racism including — according to his former associates — using the N-word and “joking” about joining the Ku Klux Klan.",
"Trump has given encouragement to white supremacists and neo-Nazis at times through his public statements and at others by what he doesn’t say.",
"And Trump is the master of the dog whistle.",
"See for example Trump saying there are good people on both sides in the aftermath of the horrible white supremacist violence in Charlotte.",
"Or how Trump and his acolytes constantly talk about violence in Chicago as a substitute for the racist perspective they only want thinly veiled.",
"He calls black athletes “sons of bitches ” says the mass shooter in Las Vegas was “probably smart” and constantly portrays undocumented immigrants as a collective group of gang members rapists and murderers.",
"There is no doubt that the way Trump talks and tweets the people he has chosen to surround himself with and the policies he has announced or implemented are all evidence that this is a dangerous administration.",
"But how dangerous relative to past U.",
"S. presidents?",
"If you talk to many Democrats on Capitol Hill Trump is the most dangerous president in U.",
"S. history.",
"He has also given rise to a new alliance of discredited hawkish neocons and MSNBC hosts and analysts.",
"Former directors of the CIA NSA and DNI have all clamored to condemn him and assure the public that these heroic spy agencies are protecting the country from the madman inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.",
"George W.",
"Bush and Dick Cheney implemented a global torture network began shipping people snatched from across the globe to Guantánamo prison invaded Iraq and Afghanistan and conducted mass surveillance operations against Americans.",
"The list of horrible presidents who caused unimaginable death and destruction across the globe is vast.",
"None of this absolves Trump one bit.",
"But it is important to keep perspective rooted in fact and history.",
"There is a particular risk in erasing the line between horrible things Trump does with horrible things the U.",
"S. has done for a long time and acting like it is all Trump.",
"It’s a complicated conversation but it is one we should have.",
"It means exploring the roots of white supremacy in the U.",
"S. the way American wars are constantly put through a laundering process to make them seem noble and brave the way “real American” has been defined and continues to be defined in our society.",
"For eight years we had the first black president in U.",
"S. history and now we have a reality TV host who spends a great deal of time tweeting and watching TV.",
"So what is unique to Trump and what is embedded in the politics of empire in the U.",
"S.?",
"You know the other thing that I would add to what you’re saying though is that there’s an interesting kind of flipside to Obama’s careful kind of prophylactic imagination around the use of American violence and that is that it sort of draws the ire of the Right.",
"So Trump comes in and basically says you know: We’re going to take the gloves off because this hasn’t worked and now we’re going to sort of free the commanders in the field to use maximum discretion and we’ve already seen what’s happening with that.",
"JS: Discretion sounds like almost like they’re being — I mean I know what the words means but he ’s widened the rules of engagement so they can kill more civilians if they feel like it’s necessary.",
"JS: Right I mean it’s more often aimed at that the police force needs to more accurately reflect the racial or religious makeup of communities.",
"And I wonder how you push back against or respond when people say “Look yes those extreme things Professor Singh that you’re about they happen everyone knows that they happen.",
"Are we perfect right now?",
"No we’re not perfect.",
"But we just had two terms of a black president.",
"We came very close to having a woman as president she got three million more votes in the popular election than Donald Trump.",
"Police forces across the country are aggressively recruiting and hiring people of color people who speak multiple languages.",
"Yes there still is racism but look at all of the progress that we’ve made and how can you argue that America remains a racist country when a black man was president for eight years?",
"”\nJS: I think of that I mean they knew they weren’t going to get anywhere with that and it was a huge part of the ascent of Trump.",
"NS: A huge part of the ascent of Trump.",
"Meanwhile Obama’s deporting people en masse strengthening the deportation machinery giving speeches really that are completely consistent with the language of criminalizing immigration violations.",
"Why should immigration violations be in the domain of the criminal?",
"I mean these are basically for the most part people who are trying to make a living in the United States many for almost a generation.",
"Right?",
"This could be talked about in a completely different way.",
"Why do we adopt the right’s language that anyone here without papers is somehow a criminal?",
"Why would that be the case?",
"And now Trump of course accentuates the kind of occasional horrific criminal violation by someone who is out of status and uses that to recursively characterize entire populations.",
"Right?",
"In order to sharpen this idea of the divide between the native-born and the foreign-born."
] |
I'm a big fan of George R.R. Martin. I've been reading his fiction eagerly ever since he published the short story, "Sandkings," a sci fi piece I highly recommend. When I found out he was writing fantasy, I was ecstatic, as I saw it as a sorely needed addition of quality writing to field filled with so much garbage.
I've read the first three books in his "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, and I'm now on page 302 of "A Feast for Crows" (hardcover edition). Normally I wouldn't critique a book until I'm done reading it, but this novel cries out for comment.
Despite being a wonderful wordsmith, Martin stumbled when he wrote "A Feast for Crows." His prose is still lovely, borderline poetic. But I think he sacrificed the story to character development in his latest work.
Whereas the first book in the series ("A Game of Thrones") was relatively fast-paced, "A Feast for Crows" plods along like a crippled hunchback. I blame this on the way the series is written. "A Game of Thrones" begins with one point of view (POV), which opens up to more and more, until you have several by the end of the novel. The number of POVs increases further book by book (despite the fact that he kills off a number of characters), until there are more than ten by the time you get to "A Feast For Crows."
This wouldn't be that bad if these were all characters you already knew, but several are new ones, which means he has to explain who they are, their history, what their motivations are, etc. This, on top of the backstory he has to write for characters we already know, filling us in on what they have been up to since we last checked in with them. Thus there's lots of blabbing, many asides, lengthy pondering and very little action.
What irritates me the most, though, is that the character I like best, Tyrion (the disfigured dwarf), hasn't even shown up yet!
I will finish this book. I owe that much to the fantasy master. But I certainly hope the next in the series is tighter and simpler. | 1 | neutral | [
"I'm a big fan of George R.",
"R. Martin.",
"I've been reading his fiction eagerly ever since he published the short story, \"Sandkings,\" a sci fi piece I highly recommend.",
"When I found out he was writing fantasy, I was ecstatic, as I saw it as a sorely needed addition of quality writing to field filled with so much garbage.",
"I've read the first three books in his \"A Song of Ice and Fire\" series, and I'm now on page 302 of \"A Feast for Crows\" (hardcover edition).",
"Normally I wouldn't critique a book until I'm done reading it, but this novel cries out for comment.",
"Despite being a wonderful wordsmith, Martin stumbled when he wrote \"A Feast for Crows.",
"\" His prose is still lovely, borderline poetic.",
"But I think he sacrificed the story to character development in his latest work.",
"Whereas the first book in the series (\"A Game of Thrones\") was relatively fast-paced, \"A Feast for Crows\" plods along like a crippled hunchback.",
"I blame this on the way the series is written.",
"\"A Game of Thrones\" begins with one point of view (POV), which opens up to more and more, until you have several by the end of the novel.",
"The number of POVs increases further book by book (despite the fact that he kills off a number of characters), until there are more than ten by the time you get to \"A Feast For Crows.",
"\"\n\nThis wouldn't be that bad if these were all characters you already knew, but several are new ones, which means he has to explain who they are, their history, what their motivations are, etc.",
"This, on top of the backstory he has to write for characters we already know, filling us in on what they have been up to since we last checked in with them.",
"Thus there's lots of blabbing, many asides, lengthy pondering and very little action.",
"What irritates me the most, though, is that the character I like best, Tyrion (the disfigured dwarf), hasn't even shown up yet!",
"I will finish this book.",
"I owe that much to the fantasy master.",
"But I certainly hope the next in the series is tighter and simpler."
] |
LG Optimus V is a decent phone for $129. However, I found out something I disliked. 1. Vibration is so low that I miss calls all the time. It got so bad I have to set the volume to high which basically everyone in the room can hear it. 2. Touchscreen keyboard isn't as good as real keyboard. 3. It froze up several times for the past couple months. A cold boot solved the problem. If you don't want to spend $300 for Motorola Triumph then choose this phone. | 1 | neutral | [
"LG Optimus V is a decent phone for $129.",
"However, I found out something I disliked.",
"1.",
"Vibration is so low that I miss calls all the time.",
"It got so bad I have to set the volume to high which basically everyone in the room can hear it.",
"2.",
"Touchscreen keyboard isn't as good as real keyboard.",
"3.",
"It froze up several times for the past couple months.",
"A cold boot solved the problem.",
"If you don't want to spend $300 for Motorola Triumph then choose this phone."
] |
This series started out nice, but just kept getting weirder. The story rambles along. The characters aren't horrible. There is too much kissing. The series starts out as fantasy, but heads toward bad romance. I don't really know if there was any point to this series. I enjoyed the emo bunny short, but didn't think emo fit into this story. That goes for most of the second and third books. It feels like a string of short stories, and some don't seem to fit as a whole. I would give this book 2.5 stars if I could. | 1 | neutral | [
"This series started out nice, but just kept getting weirder.",
"The story rambles along.",
"The characters aren't horrible.",
"There is too much kissing.",
"The series starts out as fantasy, but heads toward bad romance.",
"I don't really know if there was any point to this series.",
"I enjoyed the emo bunny short, but didn't think emo fit into this story.",
"That goes for most of the second and third books.",
"It feels like a string of short stories, and some don't seem to fit as a whole.",
"I would give this book 2.",
"5 stars if I could."
] |
I'll be honest. I bought the DVD for three things:
1-- The Assembly of the Interocitor (Interociter?) and the sound of it turning on and destroying the assembly plans with its three atomic beams.
(Think about it-- a Communications Device equipped with DEATH RAY? Evidently the Metalunans never got annoying dinnertime Tele-sales calls)
2-- The sight and sound of the Saucer Launching up into the sky on it's pulsating green beam behind the exploding manor on the hill. Cooooool!
3-- The Saucer gliding over the blasted Metalunan surface and then descending down into the crater to the underground city while the spooky theremin score marched over goosebumps.
The rest of the movie is standard 50's monster pulp. Entertaining, but not overwhelming. At the same time, this movie defines for me the essence of the scary yet irresistable allure of what we used to call "Outer Space".
When the Saucer begins taking off Turn Up the SOUND and Take Off with it! | 1 | neutral | [
"I'll be honest.",
"I bought the DVD for three things:\n\n 1-- The Assembly of the Interocitor (Interociter?",
") and the sound of it turning on and destroying the assembly plans with its three atomic beams.",
"(Think about it-- a Communications Device equipped with DEATH RAY?",
"Evidently the Metalunans never got annoying dinnertime Tele-sales calls)\n 2-- The sight and sound of the Saucer Launching up into the sky on it's pulsating green beam behind the exploding manor on the hill.",
"Cooooool!",
"3-- The Saucer gliding over the blasted Metalunan surface and then descending down into the crater to the underground city while the spooky theremin score marched over goosebumps.",
"The rest of the movie is standard 50's monster pulp.",
"Entertaining, but not overwhelming.",
"At the same time, this movie defines for me the essence of the scary yet irresistable allure of what we used to call \"Outer Space\".",
"When the Saucer begins taking off Turn Up the SOUND and Take Off with it!"
] |
I bought these because I have a corn allergy and wanted to substitute them for the LA Weightloss bars that list corn syrup as the first ingredient. I was pleasantly surprised that they were pretty tasty! My favorites are actually the Fudgie Filberts that taste similar to a Little Debbie brownie if Little Debbie's were diet. Following that I would say Almond and Coconut are tied for second. Third is the Peanut Butter which is the highest in protein but not as good as the others. My husband didn't like any of them but could tolerate the one I liked least, Peanut Butter. Over all I think these are great as a healthy snack for people with food allergies or other dietary restrictions. I think I would have picked a different name than Betty Lou's Nut Butter Balls. Nut Butter Balls doesn't sound as appetizing as what they actually are!! Nut Butter Balls.....Mmmmmm! | 1 | neutral | [
"I bought these because I have a corn allergy and wanted to substitute them for the LA Weightloss bars that list corn syrup as the first ingredient.",
"I was pleasantly surprised that they were pretty tasty!",
"My favorites are actually the Fudgie Filberts that taste similar to a Little Debbie brownie if Little Debbie's were diet.",
"Following that I would say Almond and Coconut are tied for second.",
"Third is the Peanut Butter which is the highest in protein but not as good as the others.",
"My husband didn't like any of them but could tolerate the one I liked least, Peanut Butter.",
"Over all I think these are great as a healthy snack for people with food allergies or other dietary restrictions.",
"I think I would have picked a different name than Betty Lou's Nut Butter Balls.",
"Nut Butter Balls doesn't sound as appetizing as what they actually are!!",
"Nut Butter Balls....",
".",
"Mmmmmm!"
] |
Each of these strap locks are made of two interlocking pieces of plastic. The plastic does not seem especially durable, and the two pieces easily separate. That said, when locked into place, they seem to do a decent job of holding the strap on. I wouldn't trust them to endure much stress or abuse...but with normal use, they seem okay. If you're a punk rocker, these are probably not for you. Otherwise...they may do the trick. The advantage is that you don't have to install anything, and they're quite easy to put on and remove. I use these on my keytar, which is considerably lighter than your average electric guitar. They work well for this application. | 1 | neutral | [
"Each of these strap locks are made of two interlocking pieces of plastic.",
"The plastic does not seem especially durable, and the two pieces easily separate.",
"That said, when locked into place, they seem to do a decent job of holding the strap on.",
"I wouldn't trust them to endure much stress or abuse...",
"but with normal use, they seem okay.",
"If you're a punk rocker, these are probably not for you.",
"Otherwise...",
"they may do the trick.",
"The advantage is that you don't have to install anything, and they're quite easy to put on and remove.",
"I use these on my keytar, which is considerably lighter than your average electric guitar.",
"They work well for this application."
] |
Bill's war to gain critical acceptance was fought on the brutal grounds of the concert stage and the recording studio. THE NYLON CURTAIN did for Billy Joel what REVOLVER did for the Beatles, a dark, haunting, original, rule defying album. Speaking of the Beatles, Lennon's death and legacy are evident in Billy's singing and songwriting on the NYLON CURTAIN.
THE NYLON CURTAIN was released after the smash hit GLASS HOUSES, and Bill switched from hard rock to more involved themes. THE NYLON CURTAIN is probably the overall favorite album of Bill's fans. Personally, the author is not crazy about it, but the author still is intrigued by the album. It presents a dark side of Billy Joel that we had only briefly seen before in "The Stranger".
"Allentown", a song about youth in the steel mill communities of the northeast, leads off the album. "Laura", a bizarre love song, comes next. "Pressure", a song like "The Stranger" but without the conscious intellectual depth or turmoil, comes next.
"Goodnight Saigon", a song about the horrors and experiences of the soldiers in the Vietnam war, comes next. The best song of the album, "She's right on time", provides light relief to a listener weary and tired of heavy topics presented earlier. "She's right on time" is a fun song about a man waiting for his lover to come home on Christmas. The rest consists of ridiculous filler material.
THE NYLON CURTAIN, in conclusion, is a Billy Joel triumph, though in the eyes of the author, mediocre. | 1 | neutral | [
"Bill's war to gain critical acceptance was fought on the brutal grounds of the concert stage and the recording studio.",
"THE NYLON CURTAIN did for Billy Joel what REVOLVER did for the Beatles, a dark, haunting, original, rule defying album.",
"Speaking of the Beatles, Lennon's death and legacy are evident in Billy's singing and songwriting on the NYLON CURTAIN.",
"THE NYLON CURTAIN was released after the smash hit GLASS HOUSES, and Bill switched from hard rock to more involved themes.",
"THE NYLON CURTAIN is probably the overall favorite album of Bill's fans.",
"Personally, the author is not crazy about it, but the author still is intrigued by the album.",
"It presents a dark side of Billy Joel that we had only briefly seen before in \"The Stranger\".",
"\"Allentown\", a song about youth in the steel mill communities of the northeast, leads off the album.",
"\"Laura\", a bizarre love song, comes next.",
"\"Pressure\", a song like \"The Stranger\" but without the conscious intellectual depth or turmoil, comes next.",
"\"Goodnight Saigon\", a song about the horrors and experiences of the soldiers in the Vietnam war, comes next.",
"The best song of the album, \"She's right on time\", provides light relief to a listener weary and tired of heavy topics presented earlier.",
"\"She's right on time\" is a fun song about a man waiting for his lover to come home on Christmas.",
"The rest consists of ridiculous filler material.",
"THE NYLON CURTAIN, in conclusion, is a Billy Joel triumph, though in the eyes of the author, mediocre."
] |
This is a good toaster oven for the reasons stated in many of the reviews. It is does a fine job at broiling and baking, and the convection feature does reduce cooking time. Unfortunately it fairly radiates heat, both through the glass door, and especially through the top of the oven, to the extent that I am concerned it will eventually warp or otherwise damage the wooden cabinets above (there is no hazard of fire). I am not convinced you receive much in the way of energy savings in using it as against a larger but better insulated standard oven. Some inexpensive insulation would have made all the difference. We also miss an interior light and a back-lit LCD display. The esthetics of the unit are fairly basic (we have the 175, brushed chrome version), including rather annoying beepers indicating temperature and timing. Nonetheless, it is quite useful and a worthwhile appliance, and I am pleased with its performance. Given its price (...), this is an expensive unit. As a result, I think the average customer rating is a bit high. Still, I don't think there is anything better on the market, and I am happy to have it. | 1 | neutral | [
"This is a good toaster oven for the reasons stated in many of the reviews.",
"It is does a fine job at broiling and baking, and the convection feature does reduce cooking time.",
"Unfortunately it fairly radiates heat, both through the glass door, and especially through the top of the oven, to the extent that I am concerned it will eventually warp or otherwise damage the wooden cabinets above (there is no hazard of fire).",
"I am not convinced you receive much in the way of energy savings in using it as against a larger but better insulated standard oven.",
"Some inexpensive insulation would have made all the difference.",
"We also miss an interior light and a back-lit LCD display.",
"The esthetics of the unit are fairly basic (we have the 175, brushed chrome version), including rather annoying beepers indicating temperature and timing.",
"Nonetheless, it is quite useful and a worthwhile appliance, and I am pleased with its performance.",
"Given its price (...",
"), this is an expensive unit.",
"As a result, I think the average customer rating is a bit high.",
"Still, I don't think there is anything better on the market, and I am happy to have it."
] |
New Trump Hotel Set To Open In Heart Of Mississippi Delta : NPR
But Thigpen said the connection to Trump won't be obvious.
"It's my understanding that the Trump name is not going to be attached to the hotel " he said. "It's not going to be the 'Trump Scion ' it's going to be the 'Scion.'"
Mississippi voted overwhelmingly for Trump as president but Cleveland a majority-black city of just over 12 000 people leans toward Democrats. And a Trump-backed hotel doesn't appeal to everyone.
"But to be honest when they made mention that Donald Trump's name was on it I most definitely changed my mind completely because ... I just don't feel comfortable spending my money knowing that it would be supporting him and his ideas " Williams said as he sipped on a big glass of sweet tea.
"Regardless of how we may feel about the president and his politics there are a lot of individuals who like his administration and what he's doing " Simmons said adding that many people coming to this area will want to stay at Trump 's hotel. "So the Chawlas would probably do extremely well having that name associated with it."
Many ethics experts are alarmed the president's organization is entering any new deals while he's in office. Trump placed his business interests in a revocable trust which means any profits from his hotels will be waiting for him once he leaves office.
Billy Nowell the mayor of Cleveland waves away concerns about the Trump connection. He said a new hotel will help develop the town. And Cleveland is a long way from Washington D.C. | 1 | neutral | [
"New Trump Hotel Set To Open In Heart Of Mississippi Delta : NPR\nBut Thigpen said the connection to Trump won't be obvious.",
"\"It's my understanding that the Trump name is not going to be attached to the hotel \" he said.",
"\"It's not going to be the 'Trump Scion ' it's going to be the 'Scion.",
"'\"\nMississippi voted overwhelmingly for Trump as president but Cleveland a majority-black city of just over 12 000 people leans toward Democrats.",
"And a Trump-backed hotel doesn't appeal to everyone.",
"\"But to be honest when they made mention that Donald Trump's name was on it I most definitely changed my mind completely because...",
"I just don't feel comfortable spending my money knowing that it would be supporting him and his ideas \" Williams said as he sipped on a big glass of sweet tea.",
"\"Regardless of how we may feel about the president and his politics there are a lot of individuals who like his administration and what he's doing \" Simmons said adding that many people coming to this area will want to stay at Trump 's hotel.",
"\"So the Chawlas would probably do extremely well having that name associated with it.",
"\"\nMany ethics experts are alarmed the president's organization is entering any new deals while he's in office.",
"Trump placed his business interests in a revocable trust which means any profits from his hotels will be waiting for him once he leaves office.",
"Billy Nowell the mayor of Cleveland waves away concerns about the Trump connection.",
"He said a new hotel will help develop the town.",
"And Cleveland is a long way from Washington D.",
"C."
] |
I should have paid attention to the other reviews. The clip is placed too low. The only thing in the case was my phone (hadn't added anything else at that point) and the case falls forward when attached to my pocket, thus hitting EVERYTHING you walk past. I can see why other reviews stated the clip gets yanked off. The zippers are plastic, I don't see them lasting very long. The interior of the zippered area is very soft and I don't think it would scratch anything but if you can't use it, that really doesn't matter. The interior of the velcro area is not so soft, I wouldn't put anything sensitive in there. If you want to just carry this case, it would be an okay case for a while, but remember those zipper fobs are rubber coated plastic, they WILL snap off. All in all I had high hopes for this case. I've been looking for a vertical case that could hold a few ID cards for my Samsung Reality, looks like the search is still on. | 1 | neutral | [
"I should have paid attention to the other reviews.",
"The clip is placed too low.",
"The only thing in the case was my phone (hadn't added anything else at that point) and the case falls forward when attached to my pocket, thus hitting EVERYTHING you walk past.",
"I can see why other reviews stated the clip gets yanked off.",
"The zippers are plastic, I don't see them lasting very long.",
"The interior of the zippered area is very soft and I don't think it would scratch anything but if you can't use it, that really doesn't matter.",
"The interior of the velcro area is not so soft, I wouldn't put anything sensitive in there.",
"If you want to just carry this case, it would be an okay case for a while, but remember those zipper fobs are rubber coated plastic, they WILL snap off.",
"All in all I had high hopes for this case.",
"I've been looking for a vertical case that could hold a few ID cards for my Samsung Reality, looks like the search is still on."
] |
Before I start the review of this book I must say that I'm not a huge fan of this author. I don't like the way there are always mistresses and other women clinging to her H's. Often they inspire mistrust and difficulties and the H's never try and resolve the issues in a way that makes their h's feel secure.
However in this book we have a beautiful but naive h who has recently been widowed. She was married at 17 and 4 years later her husband was killed in a duel over his mistress. The h had no idea that her husband was philandering whilst at court because she stayed quietly in the country and lived a peaceful life. After his death she comes to court to spend time with her friends (the main characters from <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/You-and-No-Other-The-St-Briac-Novels-Book-1/dp/B005T8NLWC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">You and No Other (The St. Briac Novels, Book 1)</a>, where she discovers her late husband's betrayal. She agrees to an arranged marriage with the H, who is an English Marquess. In the meanwhile the H hears about his arranged marriage and is unhappy about it so he decides to go and covertly check her out, disguised as a common portrait painter. They fall in love and the story progresses.
***Spoilers***
This is truly not a story about a marriage of convenience and when they do get married later in the book, it is for love. I hated the fact that the H expected the h to give up everything to marry a lowly portrait painter, which she eventually does but he never once disclosed who he is. Everything always seems to be on his terms. The h was very insecure about the H's relationship with his long term mistress and of course he never really does anything to calm her fears.
The story does get bogged down in lots of details and there is the side story about the villains attempts on the h's life. Although the author writes well, I think this story was all over the place and maybe it's because the main characters fell in love so early in the book, she struggled to maintain a firm story line through the rest of the book. I think perhaps she should have made a shorter book, rather than meander on.
Overall it was a good story but it could have been truly great with a little more thought in the execution. | 1 | neutral | [
"Before I start the review of this book I must say that I'm not a huge fan of this author.",
"I don't like the way there are always mistresses and other women clinging to her H's.",
"Often they inspire mistrust and difficulties and the H's never try and resolve the issues in a way that makes their h's feel secure.",
"However in this book we have a beautiful but naive h who has recently been widowed.",
"She was married at 17 and 4 years later her husband was killed in a duel over his mistress.",
"The h had no idea that her husband was philandering whilst at court because she stayed quietly in the country and lived a peaceful life.",
"After his death she comes to court to spend time with her friends (the main characters from <a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/You-and-No-Other-The-St-Briac-Novels-Book-1/dp/B005T8NLWC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">You and No Other (The St.",
"Briac Novels, Book 1)</a>, where she discovers her late husband's betrayal.",
"She agrees to an arranged marriage with the H, who is an English Marquess.",
"In the meanwhile the H hears about his arranged marriage and is unhappy about it so he decides to go and covertly check her out, disguised as a common portrait painter.",
"They fall in love and the story progresses.",
"***Spoilers***\nThis is truly not a story about a marriage of convenience and when they do get married later in the book, it is for love.",
"I hated the fact that the H expected the h to give up everything to marry a lowly portrait painter, which she eventually does but he never once disclosed who he is.",
"Everything always seems to be on his terms.",
"The h was very insecure about the H's relationship with his long term mistress and of course he never really does anything to calm her fears.",
"The story does get bogged down in lots of details and there is the side story about the villains attempts on the h's life.",
"Although the author writes well, I think this story was all over the place and maybe it's because the main characters fell in love so early in the book, she struggled to maintain a firm story line through the rest of the book.",
"I think perhaps she should have made a shorter book, rather than meander on.",
"Overall it was a good story but it could have been truly great with a little more thought in the execution."
] |
It's been nearly four years since Bloc Party released their last album, Intimacy. Since then the band members have gone on to various side projects and for a time it was questionable as to whether or not the band would even reunite and put out another record. I've been a big fan ever since I first heard their stunning 2005 debut, Silent Alarm, and I've constantly admired the way they've managed to push themselves musically and continually challenge their audience. Four is a welcome return that, while not the knockout some of us might have been hoping for, affirms that this band has plenty of life left but that they're also trying to find footing in too many different fields.
Let's get this out of the way: this album is not Silent Alarm. That's a brilliant album and it's ridiculous to expect the band to keep making that album over and over. Some of that same energy is certainly present here but it's channeled in a very different way. The opener "So He Begins to Lie" perfectly sets the stage for what we can expect. The crunchy guitars and rush of drums are classic Bloc Party but they also have a weight and pacing about them that's refreshingly mature. There's also a slight problem with this song, and it's one that peppers many of the other tracks on Four: it doesn't necessarily build up to anything special.
"Octopus", the record's first single, is a prime example of this. It has an uptempo and danceable strut to it but ultimately it's not memorable the way many of their past singles have been. This is the one sore spot that I've had with this record: it doesn't stand out. The hooks are missing for the most part and the energy is all over the place, either feeling too forced or misguided.
That's not to say that everything here is underwhelming. "Kettling" is a monster of a song and sonically captures the noisy post-punk that made them so beloved to start with. "Real Talk" and "Day Four" slow the album down into pop territory but they work wonderfully, especially due to frontman Kele Okereke's gentle and gliding voice. His vocals are often pushed back in the mix this time around, causing the rest of the band to be a wall of sound around him. In the right hands this is a powerful weapon but Bloc Party has always relied heavily on Kele's soaring and passionate voice to help carry many of the songs. His lyrics this time around are also much more vague, which is disappointing when you consider the depth and honesty he's typically known for. Vagary works for Michael Stipe and Beck but it doesn't suit the more upfront music that this band does so well.
"V.A.L.I.S." is the kind of track that feels instantly familiar. It's a bit difficult to describe for those not familiar with the group but if you're versed in their music then you'll instantly understand what I'm talking about. It's a lot of fun and one of the more memorable cuts on the album. "The Healing" and "Truth" show some promise but slide by a bit too easily to stick in your head once they're over, though they do get points for creating an interesting atmosphere. The closer "We Are Not Good People" is a noisy and screaming track that attempts something heavy but just comes off as overdone and uncomfortable.
I applaud an artist for trying new things and Bloc Party has always been a daring group. Four isn't a bad record but it isn't a great one either. After four years the band seems to have gotten distracted by other projects and have lost that tight, focused sound that made them so exciting in the first place. I've been of the belief that this band is one of the best and most promising up-and-coming acts on the indie scene for years. However, this record doesn't really cement that legacy but rather barely keeps the fire going. This record simply doesn't know what it wants to be: pop, punk, metal, alternative? It just doesn't flow the way it should and it's hard to say who's at fault. Don't get me wrong: this is an enjoyable album and one that gets better with repeated listens. It just isn't enough to carry it from good to great, and at this stage in their career I know the band should be in the great category. | 1 | neutral | [
"It's been nearly four years since Bloc Party released their last album, Intimacy.",
"Since then the band members have gone on to various side projects and for a time it was questionable as to whether or not the band would even reunite and put out another record.",
"I've been a big fan ever since I first heard their stunning 2005 debut, Silent Alarm, and I've constantly admired the way they've managed to push themselves musically and continually challenge their audience.",
"Four is a welcome return that, while not the knockout some of us might have been hoping for, affirms that this band has plenty of life left but that they're also trying to find footing in too many different fields.",
"Let's get this out of the way: this album is not Silent Alarm.",
"That's a brilliant album and it's ridiculous to expect the band to keep making that album over and over.",
"Some of that same energy is certainly present here but it's channeled in a very different way.",
"The opener \"So He Begins to Lie\" perfectly sets the stage for what we can expect.",
"The crunchy guitars and rush of drums are classic Bloc Party but they also have a weight and pacing about them that's refreshingly mature.",
"There's also a slight problem with this song, and it's one that peppers many of the other tracks on Four: it doesn't necessarily build up to anything special.",
"\"Octopus\", the record's first single, is a prime example of this.",
"It has an uptempo and danceable strut to it but ultimately it's not memorable the way many of their past singles have been.",
"This is the one sore spot that I've had with this record: it doesn't stand out.",
"The hooks are missing for the most part and the energy is all over the place, either feeling too forced or misguided.",
"That's not to say that everything here is underwhelming.",
"\"Kettling\" is a monster of a song and sonically captures the noisy post-punk that made them so beloved to start with.",
"\"Real Talk\" and \"Day Four\" slow the album down into pop territory but they work wonderfully, especially due to frontman Kele Okereke's gentle and gliding voice.",
"His vocals are often pushed back in the mix this time around, causing the rest of the band to be a wall of sound around him.",
"In the right hands this is a powerful weapon but Bloc Party has always relied heavily on Kele's soaring and passionate voice to help carry many of the songs.",
"His lyrics this time around are also much more vague, which is disappointing when you consider the depth and honesty he's typically known for.",
"Vagary works for Michael Stipe and Beck but it doesn't suit the more upfront music that this band does so well.",
"\"V.",
"A.L.I.S.\" is the kind of track that feels instantly familiar.",
"It's a bit difficult to describe for those not familiar with the group but if you're versed in their music then you'll instantly understand what I'm talking about.",
"It's a lot of fun and one of the more memorable cuts on the album.",
"\"The Healing\" and \"Truth\" show some promise but slide by a bit too easily to stick in your head once they're over, though they do get points for creating an interesting atmosphere.",
"The closer \"We Are Not Good People\" is a noisy and screaming track that attempts something heavy but just comes off as overdone and uncomfortable.",
"I applaud an artist for trying new things and Bloc Party has always been a daring group.",
"Four isn't a bad record but it isn't a great one either.",
"After four years the band seems to have gotten distracted by other projects and have lost that tight, focused sound that made them so exciting in the first place.",
"I've been of the belief that this band is one of the best and most promising up-and-coming acts on the indie scene for years.",
"However, this record doesn't really cement that legacy but rather barely keeps the fire going.",
"This record simply doesn't know what it wants to be: pop, punk, metal, alternative?",
"It just doesn't flow the way it should and it's hard to say who's at fault.",
"Don't get me wrong: this is an enjoyable album and one that gets better with repeated listens.",
"It just isn't enough to carry it from good to great, and at this stage in their career I know the band should be in the great category."
] |
welcome to PoPoLoCrois, a PSone era RPG that we in the west have been denied the pleasure of enjoying...until now. far from a simple port, the visuals have received a slight upgrade, including a new PSP-friendly wide-screen presentation. fully animated and voice-acted anime cutscenes help to further the story along, but subtitles are included as well, and are easy to read. 2-D handrawn sprites make up the cast and world, and are animated rather well. the game can have some slight load-time issues, but nothing that really gets in the way. the battle system is a fun mix of traditional turn-based rpg and tactics-style strategy. you are given the opportunity to have either the AI handle the majority of the fighting for you, or you can take control yourself, which i found much more fun. you are given a grid-like area in which you make a choice as to where you will move, then you decide what type of attack you will use. you can, if within range, move to the side or even behind your enemies for greater damage and decreased chance of them blocking. of course, they can do the same to you.
i won't go into to much more detail, as you can get that from any of the plethora of gaming mags and websites out there. suffice it to say, until now, i really haven't been that excited about the PSP, aside from the hardware itself. not that this is the greatest game ever, but it is a lot of fun, and hopefully it's the beginning of a cycle of great software for the handheld. | 1 | neutral | [
"welcome to PoPoLoCrois, a PSone era RPG that we in the west have been denied the pleasure of enjoying...",
"until now.",
"far from a simple port, the visuals have received a slight upgrade, including a new PSP-friendly wide-screen presentation.",
"fully animated and voice-acted anime cutscenes help to further the story along, but subtitles are included as well, and are easy to read.",
"2-D handrawn sprites make up the cast and world, and are animated rather well.",
"the game can have some slight load-time issues, but nothing that really gets in the way.",
"the battle system is a fun mix of traditional turn-based rpg and tactics-style strategy.",
"you are given the opportunity to have either the AI handle the majority of the fighting for you, or you can take control yourself, which i found much more fun.",
"you are given a grid-like area in which you make a choice as to where you will move, then you decide what type of attack you will use.",
"you can, if within range, move to the side or even behind your enemies for greater damage and decreased chance of them blocking.",
"of course, they can do the same to you.",
"i won't go into to much more detail, as you can get that from any of the plethora of gaming mags and websites out there.",
"suffice it to say, until now, i really haven't been that excited about the PSP, aside from the hardware itself.",
"not that this is the greatest game ever, but it is a lot of fun, and hopefully it's the beginning of a cycle of great software for the handheld."
] |
I bought this pickup set for my Fender '50s Classic Stratocaster, and for the price here on Amazon, it's a relatively cheap upgrade that pays off in spades. The pickups that come stock on the Fender '50s Classic Stratocaster are nothing horrible, but these '54 Stratocaster Pickups from Fender's Custom Shop get the guitar even closer to that glassy '50s sound that I've always wanted to have out of one of my Stratocasters.
A small complaint I have on this kit are the pickup covers. Since these pickups use the thicker wax covered cloth wire, the supplied pickup covers do not sit flush against the base of the pickup. In order to combat this issue, I marked the spot on each pickup where the interference was occurring, and then used a Dremel with a small sanding drum to provide a relief in each of the pickup covers. Case closed. A little annoying to have to make this extra step, but it makes the overall finish of the guitar that much nicer when everything is back in place.
And a MAJOR complaint: I bought three sets of these, and only one set was close to the DC Resistance listed on the packaging. My results were:
Set One
B: 6.35
M 5.95
N 5.91
So a good set here, but then...
Set Two
B: 6.83 (whaaaaaa??)
M: 6.52 (NOT EVEN CLOSE!)
N: 6.46 (Please try again)
Set Three
B: 6.35
M: 6.48
N: 6.65
You'll notice on the third set above the middle and neck are HIGHER than the bridge, which is completely incorrect. If anything, it should be the other way around. Needless to say, sets 2 and 3 are going back for a refund.
Also, if you are installing these yourself, note that the drilled holes on the pickups ARE in fact supposed to be smaller than the diameter of the supplied screws. The screws are self-tapping, and are in fact meant to create their own threads into the flat of the pickups. I was a little freaked out at first, but after doing some online research, this is normal, so fear not. | 1 | neutral | [
"I bought this pickup set for my Fender '50s Classic Stratocaster, and for the price here on Amazon, it's a relatively cheap upgrade that pays off in spades.",
"The pickups that come stock on the Fender '50s Classic Stratocaster are nothing horrible, but these '54 Stratocaster Pickups from Fender's Custom Shop get the guitar even closer to that glassy '50s sound that I've always wanted to have out of one of my Stratocasters.",
"A small complaint I have on this kit are the pickup covers.",
"Since these pickups use the thicker wax covered cloth wire, the supplied pickup covers do not sit flush against the base of the pickup.",
"In order to combat this issue, I marked the spot on each pickup where the interference was occurring, and then used a Dremel with a small sanding drum to provide a relief in each of the pickup covers.",
"Case closed.",
"A little annoying to have to make this extra step, but it makes the overall finish of the guitar that much nicer when everything is back in place.",
"And a MAJOR complaint: I bought three sets of these, and only one set was close to the DC Resistance listed on the packaging.",
"My results were:\n\nSet One\nB: 6.",
"35\nM 5.",
"95\nN 5.",
"91\nSo a good set here, but then...",
"Set Two\nB: 6.",
"83 (whaaaaaa??",
")\nM: 6.",
"52 (NOT EVEN CLOSE!",
")\nN: 6.",
"46 (Please try again)\n\nSet Three\nB: 6.",
"35\nM: 6.",
"48\nN: 6.",
"65\n\nYou'll notice on the third set above the middle and neck are HIGHER than the bridge, which is completely incorrect.",
"If anything, it should be the other way around.",
"Needless to say, sets 2 and 3 are going back for a refund.",
"Also, if you are installing these yourself, note that the drilled holes on the pickups ARE in fact supposed to be smaller than the diameter of the supplied screws.",
"The screws are self-tapping, and are in fact meant to create their own threads into the flat of the pickups.",
"I was a little freaked out at first, but after doing some online research, this is normal, so fear not."
] |
The most ridiculous thing about this album is the current price. I got my copy some time in the mid to late 90's in a cut out bin for [...] bucks, which is about what it's worth. That being said, I actually do not mind this album. I am not a Tony Martin fan and consider this era to be the worst for Black Sabbath and/or Tony Iommi. I think he should have called it the Tony Iommi and Martin band.
Anyway, the Tony Martin era got off to a promising start with The Eternal Idol, then I think bottomed out with Headless Cross and got even worse with the Dio-Sabbath album Dehumanizer (where Sabbath actually brought back Tony Martin for a while when they were having their doubts about Dio). I can see that Forbidden is not a very well liked album, but it was my favorite album since Eternal Idol. The back cover is kind of funny and Iommi intended it that way, like he was trying to make fun of Sabbath's dark Satanic image. As for the songs, most of them are about average and none of them are awful. Not too many of them really jump out at me either, tho Iommi does get in some memorable guitar riffs here and there. My favorite song...and also my favorite Sabbath tune since The Shining...is 'Illusion Of Power', which has a terrific and very original guitar from Iommi druing the verses. I can even tolerate Tony Martin's singing here...and throughout most of the album and this is a guy I usually don't like! I have no problem with the sound of the album, either, with Iommi's guitar right up front where it belongs.
It's no masterpiece and not up to par with anything from 70 to 83, but it's a definite step up from the previous four albums. I kinda like it! | 1 | neutral | [
"The most ridiculous thing about this album is the current price.",
"I got my copy some time in the mid to late 90's in a cut out bin for [...",
"] bucks, which is about what it's worth.",
"That being said, I actually do not mind this album.",
"I am not a Tony Martin fan and consider this era to be the worst for Black Sabbath and/or Tony Iommi.",
"I think he should have called it the Tony Iommi and Martin band.",
"Anyway, the Tony Martin era got off to a promising start with The Eternal Idol, then I think bottomed out with Headless Cross and got even worse with the Dio-Sabbath album Dehumanizer (where Sabbath actually brought back Tony Martin for a while when they were having their doubts about Dio).",
"I can see that Forbidden is not a very well liked album, but it was my favorite album since Eternal Idol.",
"The back cover is kind of funny and Iommi intended it that way, like he was trying to make fun of Sabbath's dark Satanic image.",
"As for the songs, most of them are about average and none of them are awful.",
"Not too many of them really jump out at me either, tho Iommi does get in some memorable guitar riffs here and there.",
"My favorite song...",
"and also my favorite Sabbath tune since The Shining...",
"is 'Illusion Of Power', which has a terrific and very original guitar from Iommi druing the verses.",
"I can even tolerate Tony Martin's singing here...",
"and throughout most of the album and this is a guy I usually don't like!",
"I have no problem with the sound of the album, either, with Iommi's guitar right up front where it belongs.",
"It's no masterpiece and not up to par with anything from 70 to 83, but it's a definite step up from the previous four albums.",
"I kinda like it!"
] |
This was a replacement for my easy-to-use LG 3G phone. Was told by TracFone they no longer supported the 3G, when I called to ask why I could no longer send my photos to email. It was a blow since I'm on a fixed income. Got the 4G android & it is horrible to use. I still haven't figured it out, even using the guide. And now I understand there will be another upgrade. It's nice to be able to access the Internet, but can't actually get updates. The screen changes so quickly, I cant' complete an action. All I really want to do is make & receive calls; take & send photos to email. Is that too much to ask? | 1 | neutral | [
"This was a replacement for my easy-to-use LG 3G phone.",
"Was told by TracFone they no longer supported the 3G, when I called to ask why I could no longer send my photos to email.",
"It was a blow since I'm on a fixed income.",
"Got the 4G android & it is horrible to use.",
"I still haven't figured it out, even using the guide.",
"And now I understand there will be another upgrade.",
"It's nice to be able to access the Internet, but can't actually get updates.",
"The screen changes so quickly, I cant' complete an action.",
"All I really want to do is make & receive calls; take & send photos to email.",
"Is that too much to ask?"
] |
Ms Lee's storylines are great! Her characters are wonderful. HOWEVER...... This is the 3rd book I have read by her. I keep reading with great hopes that her spelling, grammar, and sentence structure have improved with each successive book. Unfortunately that has not happened. I don't know whether to scream or spit. Ms Lee I will proofread for you, I am retired and have the time. You are doing your audience and yourself a great disservice. Please seek editing help. | 1 | neutral | [
"Ms Lee's storylines are great!",
"Her characters are wonderful.",
"HOWEVER....",
"..",
"This is the 3rd book I have read by her.",
"I keep reading with great hopes that her spelling, grammar, and sentence structure have improved with each successive book.",
"Unfortunately that has not happened.",
"I don't know whether to scream or spit.",
"Ms Lee I will proofread for you, I am retired and have the time.",
"You are doing your audience and yourself a great disservice.",
"Please seek editing help."
] |
I've been waiting for a NCAA football game since purchasing my Dreamcast, and this game is it ... well, sort of.
The game plays very smoothly and offers a number of playbooks customized to the team you've chosen. However, some of the true excitement of college football is missed. A few college fight songs are in the game, but they're played IN EVERY stadium. It's annoying to hear another college's fight song in your "home" stadium. Of course, this means that most college fight songs are not included.
Secondly, the play-by-play announcers are way off base in many scenarios. (Including calling TCU the "Mustangs" and SMU the "Horned Frogs", as well as indicating teams have turned the ball over when they haven't.) I wonder if this game skipped the QA process to hit a time deadline?
In any event, despite these annoyances, the control and graphics and good, and are modeled after the same in NFL 2K1. In trying to provide an option offense for the college version, Sega *almost* got it right, but the quarterback control during the option is a bit awkward.
The game is worth the money if you're like me, and you've *got to have* a college football game, but if you only have a passing interest in NCAA football, I'd recommend saving your money. | 1 | neutral | [
"I've been waiting for a NCAA football game since purchasing my Dreamcast, and this game is it...",
"well, sort of.",
"The game plays very smoothly and offers a number of playbooks customized to the team you've chosen.",
"However, some of the true excitement of college football is missed.",
"A few college fight songs are in the game, but they're played IN EVERY stadium.",
"It's annoying to hear another college's fight song in your \"home\" stadium.",
"Of course, this means that most college fight songs are not included.",
"Secondly, the play-by-play announcers are way off base in many scenarios.",
"(Including calling TCU the \"Mustangs\" and SMU the \"Horned Frogs\", as well as indicating teams have turned the ball over when they haven't.",
") I wonder if this game skipped the QA process to hit a time deadline?",
"In any event, despite these annoyances, the control and graphics and good, and are modeled after the same in NFL 2K1.",
"In trying to provide an option offense for the college version, Sega *almost* got it right, but the quarterback control during the option is a bit awkward.",
"The game is worth the money if you're like me, and you've *got to have* a college football game, but if you only have a passing interest in NCAA football, I'd recommend saving your money."
] |
Most of the time Zamouri knocks them out of the park with their blends, but this is one of their rare ones that fall a little short.
The ingredients are of the same high quality that I have come to expect from this brand, but the za'atar blend is a little too bland. I normally make mine from scratch, but purchased this locally on a whim to see if I could improve my own blends. In this case, what I make at home is better.
The thyme is the dominate flavor, and the amount of sesame used is generous. I do not think the sesame was sufficiently toasted, which is why I subtracted stars and probably why this blend is less than spectacular. If you are using this to make manaqish - flatbread with za'atar and olive oil- then when you toaste the flatbread with the za'atar and oil the seeds will toast a little.
However, on the plus side this blend does have a nice proportion of sumac to the thyme and sesame seeds. And I can 'improve' this blend by adding a half ounce of dried oregano to the two ounces of this blend, plus a pinch of sea salt. Then mixed with some quality olive oil and spread over a flatbread, this works out well. But those are to my personal tastes. In fairness, if you have never tasted za'atar this one is OK. Not great, but not horrible either.
Overall, of you know how to make za'atar pass this one by. If you have heard about it and are curious, this is probably as good as any to try as a sample. Just know that it's not the best there is. | 1 | neutral | [
"Most of the time Zamouri knocks them out of the park with their blends, but this is one of their rare ones that fall a little short.",
"The ingredients are of the same high quality that I have come to expect from this brand, but the za'atar blend is a little too bland.",
"I normally make mine from scratch, but purchased this locally on a whim to see if I could improve my own blends.",
"In this case, what I make at home is better.",
"The thyme is the dominate flavor, and the amount of sesame used is generous.",
"I do not think the sesame was sufficiently toasted, which is why I subtracted stars and probably why this blend is less than spectacular.",
"If you are using this to make manaqish - flatbread with za'atar and olive oil- then when you toaste the flatbread with the za'atar and oil the seeds will toast a little.",
"However, on the plus side this blend does have a nice proportion of sumac to the thyme and sesame seeds.",
"And I can 'improve' this blend by adding a half ounce of dried oregano to the two ounces of this blend, plus a pinch of sea salt.",
"Then mixed with some quality olive oil and spread over a flatbread, this works out well.",
"But those are to my personal tastes.",
"In fairness, if you have never tasted za'atar this one is OK.",
"Not great, but not horrible either.",
"Overall, of you know how to make za'atar pass this one by.",
"If you have heard about it and are curious, this is probably as good as any to try as a sample.",
"Just know that it's not the best there is."
] |
Individually, these books aren't bad. They're not as good as their reputation in terms of the writing, but they're intricately plotted and the characters are realistically dark. This one in particular is worth reading because if you got this far, you were left completely hanging by the previous book, and this one is the wrap-up of all the dangling threads.
But if I could review the whole series instead of one book, I would give it one star instead of three, because of the author's unreliability and lack of work ethic. He repeatedly promised to finish this series, and repeatedly blew it off. It's impossible to know if he was deliberately lying about his timetable, but without question he was lying when he released the fourth book and claimed that the fifth was 90% done. There's just no way that it took him seven years to write 80 pages. And when anyone would complain that he had a book to write, he would get openly angry.
Meanwhile, since the TV show producers actually have a work ethic where they expect to produce content on a regular basis, not just whenever they feel like it, he made the suggestion that maybe they could produce some prequels while he continued to spin his wheels for a while. They politely rejected that and said they're just going to go ahead and finish the series. Now suddenly he's motivated and has announced that he will no longer be attending fan events until the books are complete.
It's a huge, indirect kiss-off to his fans, where he's saying "The fact that I promised you, the people who made me successful and famous, to buckle down and finish the books meant nothing to me. But now that the producers are going to spoil my stupid ending, there's a huge rush and I suddenly care."
That attitude ruined the series for me, and I'll continue it through the TV show, not the books. | 1 | neutral | [
"Individually, these books aren't bad.",
"They're not as good as their reputation in terms of the writing, but they're intricately plotted and the characters are realistically dark.",
"This one in particular is worth reading because if you got this far, you were left completely hanging by the previous book, and this one is the wrap-up of all the dangling threads.",
"But if I could review the whole series instead of one book, I would give it one star instead of three, because of the author's unreliability and lack of work ethic.",
"He repeatedly promised to finish this series, and repeatedly blew it off.",
"It's impossible to know if he was deliberately lying about his timetable, but without question he was lying when he released the fourth book and claimed that the fifth was 90% done.",
"There's just no way that it took him seven years to write 80 pages.",
"And when anyone would complain that he had a book to write, he would get openly angry.",
"Meanwhile, since the TV show producers actually have a work ethic where they expect to produce content on a regular basis, not just whenever they feel like it, he made the suggestion that maybe they could produce some prequels while he continued to spin his wheels for a while.",
"They politely rejected that and said they're just going to go ahead and finish the series.",
"Now suddenly he's motivated and has announced that he will no longer be attending fan events until the books are complete.",
"It's a huge, indirect kiss-off to his fans, where he's saying \"The fact that I promised you, the people who made me successful and famous, to buckle down and finish the books meant nothing to me.",
"But now that the producers are going to spoil my stupid ending, there's a huge rush and I suddenly care.",
"\"\n\nThat attitude ruined the series for me, and I'll continue it through the TV show, not the books."
] |
Woodlore is owned by Allen Edmonds (AE) and typically AE has high quality products. It was AE's reputation that caused me to purchase this cedar shoe valet. However, from the moment that I lifted the Amazon shipping box containing the item, I felt disappointed because a quality shoe valet should have felt heavier. Therein lies my principal grievance with this shoe valet, its quality is surprisingly on par with that of a cost-effective import. Yes, the cedar aroma is quite fragrant without being overwhelming and the foot rest is a good size and very sturdy. However, the valet is assembled via small staples that are readily visible. If you look closely (zoom) at the Amazon image, you will see the small staples (I am at fault for not zooming in and observing the visible staples prior to placing my order). The four feet at the bottom are small, thin, rubber pieces that are stapled to the wood. I lifted the valet using both hands on the bottom and the bottom piece of wood creaked and flexed ... I sincerely doubt that the bottom wood is 5/8 inch thick like the side walls. I understand that cedar wood naturally has knots, creases, and does not always have the refined finished of worked woods. However, the removable lid for this shoe valet had poor alignment and a long split where the wood had separated.
I am no stranger to shoe valets, I happen to have a very nice solid wood valet by Kiwi. Comparing my Kiwi shoe valet with this one from Woodlore left me no option but to return the Woodlore and spend the extra money for a George shoe valet. If this will be your first shoe valet, if you are only concerned about having a place to store your shoe cleaners/conditioners/polishes, or this price point is your personal preference, then this valet may be satisfactory for your needs. However, if you already have experience with a quality shoe valet then I cannot recommend this particular shoe valet because you will be disappointed. | 1 | neutral | [
"Woodlore is owned by Allen Edmonds (AE) and typically AE has high quality products.",
"It was AE's reputation that caused me to purchase this cedar shoe valet.",
"However, from the moment that I lifted the Amazon shipping box containing the item, I felt disappointed because a quality shoe valet should have felt heavier.",
"Therein lies my principal grievance with this shoe valet, its quality is surprisingly on par with that of a cost-effective import.",
"Yes, the cedar aroma is quite fragrant without being overwhelming and the foot rest is a good size and very sturdy.",
"However, the valet is assembled via small staples that are readily visible.",
"If you look closely (zoom) at the Amazon image, you will see the small staples (I am at fault for not zooming in and observing the visible staples prior to placing my order).",
"The four feet at the bottom are small, thin, rubber pieces that are stapled to the wood.",
"I lifted the valet using both hands on the bottom and the bottom piece of wood creaked and flexed...",
"I sincerely doubt that the bottom wood is 5/8 inch thick like the side walls.",
"I understand that cedar wood naturally has knots, creases, and does not always have the refined finished of worked woods.",
"However, the removable lid for this shoe valet had poor alignment and a long split where the wood had separated.",
"I am no stranger to shoe valets, I happen to have a very nice solid wood valet by Kiwi.",
"Comparing my Kiwi shoe valet with this one from Woodlore left me no option but to return the Woodlore and spend the extra money for a George shoe valet.",
"If this will be your first shoe valet, if you are only concerned about having a place to store your shoe cleaners/conditioners/polishes, or this price point is your personal preference, then this valet may be satisfactory for your needs.",
"However, if you already have experience with a quality shoe valet then I cannot recommend this particular shoe valet because you will be disappointed."
] |
The cars move 2 miles an hour...and they call this a "racing" game. This game is only for kids, way too easy. I felt like going to sleep because the cars move like turtles. No excitement here. I gave three stars because there are a few things that are not bad. The environment designs are great. And the concept is good. The weapons are nice. The speed is the REAL problem with this game. This would be a great game for kids or for 80 to 90 year old seniors. | 1 | neutral | [
"The cars move 2 miles an hour...",
"and they call this a \"racing\" game.",
"This game is only for kids, way too easy.",
"I felt like going to sleep because the cars move like turtles.",
"No excitement here.",
"I gave three stars because there are a few things that are not bad.",
"The environment designs are great.",
"And the concept is good.",
"The weapons are nice.",
"The speed is the REAL problem with this game.",
"This would be a great game for kids or for 80 to 90 year old seniors."
] |
This is one of those great, underrated classic rock albums that should have been given more of a chance. Like Head East's "Flat as a Pancake" and Red Rider's "As Far as Siam," people that don't know any better tend to dismiss this album as good for only that one song-- in this case, "Rock and Roll Hootchie-Coo"-- and proceed to categorize the artist as a one-hit wonder. But this is simply not fair. There's plenty of other strong tracks and classic moments here: Such as how the excellent instrumental "Joy Ride" segues perfectly into the tragic ballad "Teenage Queen." Or the sloppy party-rocker "Uncomplicated." We have another great instrumental in "Time Warp" and an absolutely perfect, if not slightly too short, Motown-like pop tune in "It's Raining." And though dated-sounding, "The Airport Giveth (The Airport Taketh Away)" is just too cleverly written to not be a favorite guilty pleasure.
Granted, this album is not perfect. Some of it is too rooted in the trends of it's time to escape irrelevance. There's also a lot of cliche, both musically and lyrically. Like in the lyrics to the aforementioned "Teenage Queen"-- the story's over-similar to "Last Kiss." And "Teenage Love Affair" comes across a little too goofy for my tastes.
But negatives aside, as a whole this is a great album for any classic rock fan's collection. It's variety in style from track to track, clever production and Derringer's top-notch musician-ship, as well as some great guest appearances from Joe Walsh and Edgar Winter make it well-worth the price. Here we see an artist who is versatile and talented-- a thing that is becoming, sadly, less and less common. | 1 | neutral | [
"This is one of those great, underrated classic rock albums that should have been given more of a chance.",
"Like Head East's \"Flat as a Pancake\" and Red Rider's \"As Far as Siam,\" people that don't know any better tend to dismiss this album as good for only that one song-- in this case, \"Rock and Roll Hootchie-Coo\"-- and proceed to categorize the artist as a one-hit wonder.",
"But this is simply not fair.",
"There's plenty of other strong tracks and classic moments here: Such as how the excellent instrumental \"Joy Ride\" segues perfectly into the tragic ballad \"Teenage Queen.",
"\" Or the sloppy party-rocker \"Uncomplicated.",
"\" We have another great instrumental in \"Time Warp\" and an absolutely perfect, if not slightly too short, Motown-like pop tune in \"It's Raining.",
"\" And though dated-sounding, \"The Airport Giveth (The Airport Taketh Away)\" is just too cleverly written to not be a favorite guilty pleasure.",
"Granted, this album is not perfect.",
"Some of it is too rooted in the trends of it's time to escape irrelevance.",
"There's also a lot of cliche, both musically and lyrically.",
"Like in the lyrics to the aforementioned \"Teenage Queen\"-- the story's over-similar to \"Last Kiss.",
"\" And \"Teenage Love Affair\" comes across a little too goofy for my tastes.",
"But negatives aside, as a whole this is a great album for any classic rock fan's collection.",
"It's variety in style from track to track, clever production and Derringer's top-notch musician-ship, as well as some great guest appearances from Joe Walsh and Edgar Winter make it well-worth the price.",
"Here we see an artist who is versatile and talented-- a thing that is becoming, sadly, less and less common."
] |
Ok so these are impressions after beating game:
STORY: Really ok. Story contains adult humor in dialogues, and in cameos recognizable to gaming audience.
Lot of real characters from that history period are here, too. Come on, how many RPG games are NOT like 'Once upon a time there was a princess, who was captivated by big bad dragon' ? This is only one that is set in early 20th century.
GRAPHICS: Really good, great movies. It takes you back 100 years ago.
BATTLE: No classes for characters, although some are better magic users than others etc...there are harmonixers, who are persona-like users. Boss battles are something that you can't muscle out, you have to think how to beat them, especially last fusion boss for Yuri. I really enjoyed fights.
PUZZLES: Great, not too difficult. Made to make you enjoy them.
FLAW: Flaw is in game design. Important things are at unimportant locations. Sometimes you have to go out and get back in and then discover something. You have to read FAQ all the times. It is ok (in my opinion) to put bonuses into some god forgotten places, but basing gameplay on this is what made me not give it four stars...
This is a continued story from Shadow Hearts one and it would be good to play that first. Oh, and beat both endings before you put it on your shelf. | 1 | neutral | [
"Ok so these are impressions after beating game:\n\nSTORY: Really ok.",
"Story contains adult humor in dialogues, and in cameos recognizable to gaming audience.",
"Lot of real characters from that history period are here, too.",
"Come on, how many RPG games are NOT like 'Once upon a time there was a princess, who was captivated by big bad dragon'?",
"This is only one that is set in early 20th century.",
"GRAPHICS: Really good, great movies.",
"It takes you back 100 years ago.",
"BATTLE: No classes for characters, although some are better magic users than others etc...",
"there are harmonixers, who are persona-like users.",
"Boss battles are something that you can't muscle out, you have to think how to beat them, especially last fusion boss for Yuri.",
"I really enjoyed fights.",
"PUZZLES: Great, not too difficult.",
"Made to make you enjoy them.",
"FLAW: Flaw is in game design.",
"Important things are at unimportant locations.",
"Sometimes you have to go out and get back in and then discover something.",
"You have to read FAQ all the times.",
"It is ok (in my opinion) to put bonuses into some god forgotten places, but basing gameplay on this is what made me not give it four stars...",
"This is a continued story from Shadow Hearts one and it would be good to play that first.",
"Oh, and beat both endings before you put it on your shelf."
] |
You are the point man for F.E.A.R. or First Encounter Assault Recon (cute, huh?) and your job is to investigate an organization who has been accused of controlling the minds of the security forces that operate said building. Throughout your investigation you will encounter paranormal activity and begin to learn of a little girl named Alma. I won't spoil anything here but the story definitely borrows plot elements from Silent Hill and The Ring.
F.E.A.R. sort of sits between lukewarm and good. The combat is pretty solid, the sounds are very well done and the story is interesting enough - even if it has been done before. Unfortunately this game misses the mark on a few aspects which hinder this game a bit.
The biggest issue with this game is how repetitive it really is. The environments are repetitive as well as the pacing. You spend almost the whole time inside of an office building running through a huge maze of very redundant offices. Actually it's not really a maze but the layout allows you to approach the next area a couple different ways. Nothing drastic but for instance you can either crawl through a vent or you can walk down a hallway and then through a door. At times this game can feel maze-like because it's quite easy to get turned around and accidentally end up where you started. Most of this game looks exactly the same throughout - there are a few different environments such a construction zones or the rooftops but these are usually only short breaks from the offices.
The pacing of this game is repetitive. You will walk through a significant portion of a level without any combat - you are pretty much trying to figure out how to get to the next area (without getting turned around) and after awhile you will approach a larger room of some sorts where you will battle a bunch security guys. You will continue fighting small groups of security guys until you reach the next area where you don't fight for a long period of time. This game is so repetitive in this nature that you will soon know exactly when you will be fighting and when you will be on another long combat-free stretch. Sprinkle in some paranormal events (odd visions, voices, things moving on their own...etc) and you pretty much have F.E.A.R.in a nutshell.
The game play has flaws as well. You have the ability to go into slow mo (ala Max Payne) which is pretty well done. You can see the bullets zinging through the air, glass shattering, flailing baddies and all sorts of cool stuff but again this all becomes repetitive. My biggest complaint with the game play is the slight lag when moving/aiming. To me there seems to be a very slight (maybe just a hundred milliseconds) lag between when you move the thumb stick and when the movement is actually registered on screen. It's only a few milliseconds but it's enough to make aiming a bit frustrating, especially while you are fighting in real-time. You are equipped with an annoying flashlight. Your battery in your flashlight dies about every minute - maybe 2 minutes. You have to turn your flashlight off for about 10-15 seconds for it to recharge which doesn't sound too bad but this game is VERY dark and you constantly need your flashlight. It starts to become really annoying to walk around for a minute or two then sit for 15 seconds while it recharges again.
I found by around the 7th Interval (out of 11 plus 1 short bonus interval) I was pretty bored with this game. One reviewer posted that this game is like playing the demo over and over for 10+ hours and that reviewer really wasn't too far from the truth. This game starts out engaging but fizzles out about halfway in.
Instead of hitting every aspect of this game in this review, I'll do a good ol' fashion pro/con list.
Pros
- Guns feel powerful, decent variety of them too
- AI is above average
- Large combat sequences can be quite fun
- Sounds are good. Voice acting is average but atmospheric sounds are very well done
- Has some genuine creepy moments
- Story although cliched, is still interesting enough
- Slow-mo is done pretty well
Cons
- You will become sick of running through offices
- Just about everything becomes repetitive (game-play, visuals, pacing)
- Flashlight becomes very annoying - almost like mini speed-bumps in the games pacing
- Easy to get turned around because everything looks exactly the same
- Slight lag between issuing movement command and movement taking place on-screen
- Frequent frame-rate drops | 1 | neutral | [
"You are the point man for F.",
"E.A.R. or First Encounter Assault Recon (cute, huh?",
") and your job is to investigate an organization who has been accused of controlling the minds of the security forces that operate said building.",
"Throughout your investigation you will encounter paranormal activity and begin to learn of a little girl named Alma.",
"I won't spoil anything here but the story definitely borrows plot elements from Silent Hill and The Ring.",
"F.",
"E.A.R. sort of sits between lukewarm and good.",
"The combat is pretty solid, the sounds are very well done and the story is interesting enough - even if it has been done before.",
"Unfortunately this game misses the mark on a few aspects which hinder this game a bit.",
"The biggest issue with this game is how repetitive it really is.",
"The environments are repetitive as well as the pacing.",
"You spend almost the whole time inside of an office building running through a huge maze of very redundant offices.",
"Actually it's not really a maze but the layout allows you to approach the next area a couple different ways.",
"Nothing drastic but for instance you can either crawl through a vent or you can walk down a hallway and then through a door.",
"At times this game can feel maze-like because it's quite easy to get turned around and accidentally end up where you started.",
"Most of this game looks exactly the same throughout - there are a few different environments such a construction zones or the rooftops but these are usually only short breaks from the offices.",
"The pacing of this game is repetitive.",
"You will walk through a significant portion of a level without any combat - you are pretty much trying to figure out how to get to the next area (without getting turned around) and after awhile you will approach a larger room of some sorts where you will battle a bunch security guys.",
"You will continue fighting small groups of security guys until you reach the next area where you don't fight for a long period of time.",
"This game is so repetitive in this nature that you will soon know exactly when you will be fighting and when you will be on another long combat-free stretch.",
"Sprinkle in some paranormal events (odd visions, voices, things moving on their own...",
"etc) and you pretty much have F.",
"E.A.R.in a nutshell.",
"The game play has flaws as well.",
"You have the ability to go into slow mo (ala Max Payne) which is pretty well done.",
"You can see the bullets zinging through the air, glass shattering, flailing baddies and all sorts of cool stuff but again this all becomes repetitive.",
"My biggest complaint with the game play is the slight lag when moving/aiming.",
"To me there seems to be a very slight (maybe just a hundred milliseconds) lag between when you move the thumb stick and when the movement is actually registered on screen.",
"It's only a few milliseconds but it's enough to make aiming a bit frustrating, especially while you are fighting in real-time.",
"You are equipped with an annoying flashlight.",
"Your battery in your flashlight dies about every minute - maybe 2 minutes.",
"You have to turn your flashlight off for about 10-15 seconds for it to recharge which doesn't sound too bad but this game is VERY dark and you constantly need your flashlight.",
"It starts to become really annoying to walk around for a minute or two then sit for 15 seconds while it recharges again.",
"I found by around the 7th Interval (out of 11 plus 1 short bonus interval) I was pretty bored with this game.",
"One reviewer posted that this game is like playing the demo over and over for 10+ hours and that reviewer really wasn't too far from the truth.",
"This game starts out engaging but fizzles out about halfway in.",
"Instead of hitting every aspect of this game in this review, I'll do a good ol' fashion pro/con list.",
"Pros\n- Guns feel powerful, decent variety of them too\n- AI is above average\n- Large combat sequences can be quite fun\n- Sounds are good.",
"Voice acting is average but atmospheric sounds are very well done\n- Has some genuine creepy moments\n- Story although cliched, is still interesting enough\n- Slow-mo is done pretty well\n\nCons\n- You will become sick of running through offices\n- Just about everything becomes repetitive (game-play, visuals, pacing)\n- Flashlight becomes very annoying - almost like mini speed-bumps in the games pacing\n- Easy to get turned around because everything looks exactly the same\n- Slight lag between issuing movement command and movement taking place on-screen\n- Frequent frame-rate drops"
] |
This came in a set of utensils, and I have been using it (and the others) for almost 2 years now. I am pretty happy with the spoon(s), ladle, and pasta spoon/server, but I can't say the same for the two spatulas that came with it (including this one). The problem is the size. The blade is too thick. It's not that flexible either, which I don't think is a huge problem, but a little annoying when I try to turn things in smaller pans or fragile foods like an omlett. I think this is more suited to larger cookware or things like cookies. I do like how it stays rigid when I use it to help get a pizza out of the oven though.
It's made of dense nylon, which isn't a bad thing either. I own other nylon utensils and they're fine, but the spatula melted the second time I used it. I was using it to flip a pancake on my griddle, and when I turned the pancake over, I noticed that black pieces came off on it. I thought it had come off the griddle itself, but I noticed it was from the spatula. It had melted on the leading edge despite the griddle being cooler than 300 degrees.
On the plus side, the handle is really comfortable and grippy. I don't think I have ever dropped or had this slip out of my hands so far. The only issue with the fat handle is that it's hard to fit into a holder that has other things in it.
Overall, it's not a bad spatula. I recommend it, but be forewarned it might melt. I like Oxo products a lot and they are good quality. I was surprised that this one had some issues. | 1 | neutral | [
"This came in a set of utensils, and I have been using it (and the others) for almost 2 years now.",
"I am pretty happy with the spoon(s), ladle, and pasta spoon/server, but I can't say the same for the two spatulas that came with it (including this one).",
"The problem is the size.",
"The blade is too thick.",
"It's not that flexible either, which I don't think is a huge problem, but a little annoying when I try to turn things in smaller pans or fragile foods like an omlett.",
"I think this is more suited to larger cookware or things like cookies.",
"I do like how it stays rigid when I use it to help get a pizza out of the oven though.",
"It's made of dense nylon, which isn't a bad thing either.",
"I own other nylon utensils and they're fine, but the spatula melted the second time I used it.",
"I was using it to flip a pancake on my griddle, and when I turned the pancake over, I noticed that black pieces came off on it.",
"I thought it had come off the griddle itself, but I noticed it was from the spatula.",
"It had melted on the leading edge despite the griddle being cooler than 300 degrees.",
"On the plus side, the handle is really comfortable and grippy.",
"I don't think I have ever dropped or had this slip out of my hands so far.",
"The only issue with the fat handle is that it's hard to fit into a holder that has other things in it.",
"Overall, it's not a bad spatula.",
"I recommend it, but be forewarned it might melt.",
"I like Oxo products a lot and they are good quality.",
"I was surprised that this one had some issues."
] |
It's a little ironic that Hillerman made his reputation as a chronicler of Din (Navajo) characters and culture, but tends to put other tribes in his novels as local color elements. I was interested to see Tohono O'odham characters in Sinister Pig, but disappointed when it became obvious that Hillerman knows little or nothing about the O'odham. They're not "locals" in the SE Arizona / New Mexico bootheel region any more than Navajo or Hopi are. He has Jim Chee think, "That tribe had its reservation on the Mexican border, lapping over into Arizona". Jeesh! Look at a map, Tony: the Tohono O'odham reservation, about the size of Connecticut, is right smack in Arizona southwest of Tucson. (Lots of O'odham live in Sonora, but not on designated reservation land.)
Minor point? Yes, in terms of the novel overall. No, in terms of Hillerman's reputation as an amabassador of Native culture to a broader readership. | 1 | neutral | [
"It's a little ironic that Hillerman made his reputation as a chronicler of Din (Navajo) characters and culture, but tends to put other tribes in his novels as local color elements.",
"I was interested to see Tohono O'odham characters in Sinister Pig, but disappointed when it became obvious that Hillerman knows little or nothing about the O'odham.",
"They're not \"locals\" in the SE Arizona / New Mexico bootheel region any more than Navajo or Hopi are.",
"He has Jim Chee think, \"That tribe had its reservation on the Mexican border, lapping over into Arizona\".",
"Jeesh!",
"Look at a map, Tony: the Tohono O'odham reservation, about the size of Connecticut, is right smack in Arizona southwest of Tucson.",
"(Lots of O'odham live in Sonora, but not on designated reservation land.",
")\n\nMinor point?",
"Yes, in terms of the novel overall.",
"No, in terms of Hillerman's reputation as an amabassador of Native culture to a broader readership."
] |
If you've used any previous version this isn't much different.
I used PowerDVD 12 before this and it seems they just added a couple of things like H.265 (HEVC) support, ability to watch YouTube video's offline and Cyberlink Cloud.
Seems everyone is trying to get you to store your stuff in the cloud aka iCloud. Now Cyberlink has come up with CyberLink Cloud which they describe thus : The service is designed to enrich your media experience with CyberLink multimedia products. Whether you need to wirelessly sync music, photos and videos between PC and mobile devices or back up valuable media creation projects and templates, CyberLink Cloud makes it safe and convenient. Not competitively priced though, 9.99 a month for 10GB of storage which really isn't that much when you're storing video.
Anyways, for the reason most people will want this software to play Blu-ray and DVD since Windows doesn't include said software it works as good as prior version from my experience. Did have it crash trying to open some video files on my hard drive which it didn't seem to like for some reason.
I tested playing some H.265 files since that and 4K is one of the new features in this version and it played back fine on my 4K monitor. PowerDVD 12 couldn't open the file nor could Windows media player or Quicktime. VLC had no problem opening it either. | 1 | neutral | [
"If you've used any previous version this isn't much different.",
"I used PowerDVD 12 before this and it seems they just added a couple of things like H.",
"265 (HEVC) support, ability to watch YouTube video's offline and Cyberlink Cloud.",
"Seems everyone is trying to get you to store your stuff in the cloud aka iCloud.",
"Now Cyberlink has come up with CyberLink Cloud which they describe thus : The service is designed to enrich your media experience with CyberLink multimedia products.",
"Whether you need to wirelessly sync music, photos and videos between PC and mobile devices or back up valuable media creation projects and templates, CyberLink Cloud makes it safe and convenient.",
"Not competitively priced though, 9.",
"99 a month for 10GB of storage which really isn't that much when you're storing video.",
"Anyways, for the reason most people will want this software to play Blu-ray and DVD since Windows doesn't include said software it works as good as prior version from my experience.",
"Did have it crash trying to open some video files on my hard drive which it didn't seem to like for some reason.",
"I tested playing some H.",
"265 files since that and 4K is one of the new features in this version and it played back fine on my 4K monitor.",
"PowerDVD 12 couldn't open the file nor could Windows media player or Quicktime.",
"VLC had no problem opening it either."
] |
Oprah Shot Down 2020 Speculation In Pre
Oprah Winfrey said recently she had no interest in running for president in 2020 casting doubt on speculation about her political aspirations.
In an interview with InStyle editor-in-chief Laura Brown three weeks before her powerful Golden Globes speech earlier this month the 63-year-old entertainment icon said she had met with someone who offered to help with a political campaign but she shut them down. InStyle published the interview on Thursday.
“I’ve always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not ” Oprah said during the interview. “And so it’s not something that interests me. I don’t have the DNA for it. ... That’s not for me .”
Oprah 2020? “I’ve always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not. And so it’s not something that interests me. I don’t have the DNA for it ” March cover star @Oprah tells @LauraBrown99. https://t.co/iszoxFeChp pic.twitter.com/FkrWJt9lQn — InStyle (@InStyle) January 25 2018
Speculation about a potential Oprah 2020 presidential campaign began swirling this month following her Golden Globes speech.
Members of Oprah ’s inner circle including her longtime partner Stedman Graham and CBS’ Gayle King hinted that she might consider running.
“Gayle ― who knows me as well as I know myself practically ― has been calling me regularly and texting me things like a woman in the airport saying ‘When’s Oprah going to run?’” Oprah told Brown. “So Gayle sends me these things and then she’ll go ‘I know I know I know! It wouldn’t be good for you ― it would be good for everyone else.’” | 1 | neutral | [
"Oprah Shot Down 2020 Speculation In Pre\nOprah Winfrey said recently she had no interest in running for president in 2020 casting doubt on speculation about her political aspirations.",
"In an interview with InStyle editor-in-chief Laura Brown three weeks before her powerful Golden Globes speech earlier this month the 63-year-old entertainment icon said she had met with someone who offered to help with a political campaign but she shut them down.",
"InStyle published the interview on Thursday.",
"“I’ve always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not ” Oprah said during the interview.",
"“And so it’s not something that interests me.",
"I don’t have the DNA for it.",
"...",
"That’s not for me.",
"”\n Oprah 2020?",
"“I’ve always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not.",
"And so it’s not something that interests me.",
"I don’t have the DNA for it ” March cover star @Oprah tells @LauraBrown99.",
"https://t.",
"co/iszoxFeChp pic.",
"twitter.",
"com/FkrWJt9lQn — InStyle (@InStyle) January 25 2018\nSpeculation about a potential Oprah 2020 presidential campaign began swirling this month following her Golden Globes speech.",
"Members of Oprah ’s inner circle including her longtime partner Stedman Graham and CBS’ Gayle King hinted that she might consider running.",
"“Gayle ― who knows me as well as I know myself practically ― has been calling me regularly and texting me things like a woman in the airport saying ‘When’s Oprah going to run?",
"’” Oprah told Brown.",
"“So Gayle sends me these things and then she’ll go ‘I know I know I know!",
"It wouldn’t be good for you ― it would be good for everyone else.",
"’”"
] |
Factbox: International reaction to arrest of Reuters reporters in Myanmar
(Reuters) - Several countries the United Nations and journalist groups are demanding the release of Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo from detention in Myanmar. The reporters were arrested on Dec. 12 after being invited to meet police officials on the outskirts of Yangon. They had worked on stories about a military crackdown in Rakhine state scene of more than 600 000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh since late August.
Myanmarâs Ministry of Information has said the reporters â illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media â and released a photo of them in handcuffs.
It said the reporters and two policemen faced charges under the British colonial-era Official Secrets Act which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years though officials said they have not been charged. Their exact whereabouts is not known.
- The Committee to Protect Journalists said âWe call on local authorities to immediately unconditionally release Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. These arrests come amid a widening crackdown which is having a grave impact on the ability of journalists to cover a story of vital global importance.â | 1 | neutral | [
"Factbox: International reaction to arrest of Reuters reporters in Myanmar\n(Reuters) - Several countries the United Nations and journalist groups are demanding the release of Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo from detention in Myanmar.",
"The reporters were arrested on Dec.",
"12 after being invited to meet police officials on the outskirts of Yangon.",
"They had worked on stories about a military crackdown in Rakhine state scene of more than 600 000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh since late August.",
"Myanmarâs Ministry of Information has said the reporters â illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media â and released a photo of them in handcuffs.",
"It said the reporters and two policemen faced charges under the British colonial-era Official Secrets Act which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years though officials said they have not been charged.",
"Their exact whereabouts is not known.",
"- The Committee to Protect Journalists said âWe call on local authorities to immediately unconditionally release Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.",
"These arrests come amid a widening crackdown which is having a grave impact on the ability of journalists to cover a story of vital global importance.",
"â"
] |
The Evil Dead films have--with good reason--a dedicated fan following, and a video game tie-in seemed like a logical choice. If you like the films, then you will probably like this game. Bruce Campbell returns as Ash, the Boomstick-slinging, chainsaw-wielding hero of the films with an axe to grind (literally) and Deadites to kill. The premise is very simple: Armed with his trusty chainsaw, Boomstick, spells, and a quip-spouting mouth, Ash must must travel through time to various points in Dearborn, Michigan's past and accomplish certain goals that will stop the Deadites from overrunning the Earth.
The Good: Action, action, action. Deadites are everywhere, constantly on the attack. Bruce Campbell has a number of great one-liners, and his vocal work and self-deprecating humor makes the more tedious parts of the game pass more easily. The game has an Mature rating, and with good reason: Ash hacks Deadites apart with his chainsaw, sending limbs and heads flying everywhere and blood spurting ten feet into the air. He blasts them into a fine red mist with his shotgun, and cooks them with his flamethrower. Definitely not a game for the kiddies. Controls are decent, though Ash seems to have trouble outrunning Deadites, who shamble and shuffle along. I especially like the two-handed attacks Ash can execute, such as using the chainsaw and shotgun simultaneously. You can also cast spells, such as "Possess Deadite" and a great lightning spell that add to your arsenal and allow you to work through some areas more easily.
The Bad: Constant Deadite regeneration. Just when you think you've cleared an area of Deadites, they respawn. This makes backtracking very, very difficult, as enemies keep respawning every time you pass through an area. This makes game progression difficult at times. Also, there never seems to enough health. I've killed literally dozens of Deadites and only been rewarded with one or two bits of health.
There are also too many cutscenes, and most of them cannot be skipped. it's annoying to face a boss character, get killed, and have to sit through the introductory clip again and again without being able to skip it. There are also too few save points. Constantly replaying the same areas again and again gets old after a while.
Graphics are subpar, but Ash at least LOOKS like Bruce Campbell, and the blood and atmospheric effects are adequate. The camera angle can be a real aggravation at times. I had to rotate it way too often to get my bearings, a problem commonly found in third-person games.
The Ugly: The Deadites. Nuff said.
A tip or two: Save devastating weapons, such as explosive shells, armor-piercing bullets, or the flamethrower for crowds of Deadites. When faced with that many enemies, your trusty chainsaw won't be able to mow them down fast enough to keep you from being surrounded. Single Deadites are usually best dispatched with your chainsaw. Also, when the music begins to quicken, that's a hint that Deadites are approaching. The game also has some good unlockable arcade levels, usually accessed by killing X number of Deadites in X amount of time.
Not a perfect game by any means, but for twenty bucks or so, a pretty worthy purchase. | 1 | neutral | [
"The Evil Dead films have--with good reason--a dedicated fan following, and a video game tie-in seemed like a logical choice.",
"If you like the films, then you will probably like this game.",
"Bruce Campbell returns as Ash, the Boomstick-slinging, chainsaw-wielding hero of the films with an axe to grind (literally) and Deadites to kill.",
"The premise is very simple: Armed with his trusty chainsaw, Boomstick, spells, and a quip-spouting mouth, Ash must must travel through time to various points in Dearborn, Michigan's past and accomplish certain goals that will stop the Deadites from overrunning the Earth.",
"The Good: Action, action, action.",
"Deadites are everywhere, constantly on the attack.",
"Bruce Campbell has a number of great one-liners, and his vocal work and self-deprecating humor makes the more tedious parts of the game pass more easily.",
"The game has an Mature rating, and with good reason: Ash hacks Deadites apart with his chainsaw, sending limbs and heads flying everywhere and blood spurting ten feet into the air.",
"He blasts them into a fine red mist with his shotgun, and cooks them with his flamethrower.",
"Definitely not a game for the kiddies.",
"Controls are decent, though Ash seems to have trouble outrunning Deadites, who shamble and shuffle along.",
"I especially like the two-handed attacks Ash can execute, such as using the chainsaw and shotgun simultaneously.",
"You can also cast spells, such as \"Possess Deadite\" and a great lightning spell that add to your arsenal and allow you to work through some areas more easily.",
"The Bad: Constant Deadite regeneration.",
"Just when you think you've cleared an area of Deadites, they respawn.",
"This makes backtracking very, very difficult, as enemies keep respawning every time you pass through an area.",
"This makes game progression difficult at times.",
"Also, there never seems to enough health.",
"I've killed literally dozens of Deadites and only been rewarded with one or two bits of health.",
"There are also too many cutscenes, and most of them cannot be skipped.",
"it's annoying to face a boss character, get killed, and have to sit through the introductory clip again and again without being able to skip it.",
"There are also too few save points.",
"Constantly replaying the same areas again and again gets old after a while.",
"Graphics are subpar, but Ash at least LOOKS like Bruce Campbell, and the blood and atmospheric effects are adequate.",
"The camera angle can be a real aggravation at times.",
"I had to rotate it way too often to get my bearings, a problem commonly found in third-person games.",
"The Ugly: The Deadites.",
"Nuff said.",
"A tip or two: Save devastating weapons, such as explosive shells, armor-piercing bullets, or the flamethrower for crowds of Deadites.",
"When faced with that many enemies, your trusty chainsaw won't be able to mow them down fast enough to keep you from being surrounded.",
"Single Deadites are usually best dispatched with your chainsaw.",
"Also, when the music begins to quicken, that's a hint that Deadites are approaching.",
"The game also has some good unlockable arcade levels, usually accessed by killing X number of Deadites in X amount of time.",
"Not a perfect game by any means, but for twenty bucks or so, a pretty worthy purchase."
] |
(More like 3.5 feathers)
Reviewed by Angela(Under the Covers Book Blog)
For I Have Sinned is a short story following First Grave on the Right (book 1 from Charley Davidson Series). Charley is a private investigator but being a PI is just a disguise. She is really a Soul Reaper who helps lost souls "go to the light". No, really, Charley shines like a beacon to call the lost souls to her.
The books in this series are told as a first person POV by Charley herself, but not in this novella. This story is told by a lost soul seeking Charley's help. Also as a first person POV. Trapped in this world with an unknown, unfinished business and trying to find out what happened to her. It was nice to see a story from a different POV other than Charley's. Seeing the side of what a ghost would feel upon meeting her, scenes that would never get old. This reaper is just hilarious with her banters, sense of humor and her overall take on life. Charley will rise up to her calling of course and this ghost will have a bittersweet resolution. A very sweet story. | 1 | neutral | [
"(More like 3.",
"5 feathers)\nReviewed by Angela(Under the Covers Book Blog)\n\nFor I Have Sinned is a short story following First Grave on the Right (book 1 from Charley Davidson Series).",
"Charley is a private investigator but being a PI is just a disguise.",
"She is really a Soul Reaper who helps lost souls \"go to the light\".",
"No, really, Charley shines like a beacon to call the lost souls to her.",
"The books in this series are told as a first person POV by Charley herself, but not in this novella.",
"This story is told by a lost soul seeking Charley's help.",
"Also as a first person POV.",
"Trapped in this world with an unknown, unfinished business and trying to find out what happened to her.",
"It was nice to see a story from a different POV other than Charley's.",
"Seeing the side of what a ghost would feel upon meeting her, scenes that would never get old.",
"This reaper is just hilarious with her banters, sense of humor and her overall take on life.",
"Charley will rise up to her calling of course and this ghost will have a bittersweet resolution.",
"A very sweet story."
] |
The instructions for inserting the T notch of the holder into the mount were not entirely clear to me: "slide forward and up." Well the thing kept falling apart until magically it did not fall apart. I still don't think I've got it right, but I'll see if it holds together. BTW, the sticky suction is really, really sticky. I tried to get it off the dashboard to make an adjustment and it seemed to be stuck permanently. But with a lot of effort, I got it off without breaking it or my dashboard. Otherwise, once all these problems are solved, it looks like it ought to do the job. An update: I have since changed from a normal sized phone to a plus sized phone with a case, which makes things a bit heaver than before. On a bumpy road, the phone may not stay seated and the arm may change position with the shaking. But the joints can be tightened with the adjustment screws and that may solve the problem if your phone is not too heavy. I also slip a rubber band around my phone to keep it in place. | 1 | neutral | [
"The instructions for inserting the T notch of the holder into the mount were not entirely clear to me: \"slide forward and up.",
"\" Well the thing kept falling apart until magically it did not fall apart.",
"I still don't think I've got it right, but I'll see if it holds together.",
"BTW, the sticky suction is really, really sticky.",
"I tried to get it off the dashboard to make an adjustment and it seemed to be stuck permanently.",
"But with a lot of effort, I got it off without breaking it or my dashboard.",
"Otherwise, once all these problems are solved, it looks like it ought to do the job.",
"An update: I have since changed from a normal sized phone to a plus sized phone with a case, which makes things a bit heaver than before.",
"On a bumpy road, the phone may not stay seated and the arm may change position with the shaking.",
"But the joints can be tightened with the adjustment screws and that may solve the problem if your phone is not too heavy.",
"I also slip a rubber band around my phone to keep it in place."
] |
This product is difficult to review because a treatment cycle takes several years. To properly evaluate its impact on the beetle population, I'd have to have a "control yard" next door where I did not apply the product. I don't have that. So, if I see a decline in beetle and grub activity, it could be because of the long and snow-rich winter, the beetle traps, the landscaper applying grub control, or, yes, because of the milky spore.
At the end of the day, we don't want our lawn to die and will do everything we can to prevent that from happening. How much of part the milky spore plays in this battle is anyone's guess.
I had the powder last year and I got the granular stuff this year. The powder application with the dispenser tube was a lot more work and I do recommend the granular form - it goes down much quicker with the rotary spreader. The spreader settings for Scotts rotary spreaders are not provided on the package. I guessed that, too.
2016 was the 3rd year of application in my yard. I used beetle traps again as well, and I had very few Japanese beetles in the traps this year and no grub-related lawn damage. I did not use any chemicals on the lawn this year, and it appears that my strategy of fighting the beetles on all fronts is successful. | 1 | neutral | [
"This product is difficult to review because a treatment cycle takes several years.",
"To properly evaluate its impact on the beetle population, I'd have to have a \"control yard\" next door where I did not apply the product.",
"I don't have that.",
"So, if I see a decline in beetle and grub activity, it could be because of the long and snow-rich winter, the beetle traps, the landscaper applying grub control, or, yes, because of the milky spore.",
"At the end of the day, we don't want our lawn to die and will do everything we can to prevent that from happening.",
"How much of part the milky spore plays in this battle is anyone's guess.",
"I had the powder last year and I got the granular stuff this year.",
"The powder application with the dispenser tube was a lot more work and I do recommend the granular form - it goes down much quicker with the rotary spreader.",
"The spreader settings for Scotts rotary spreaders are not provided on the package.",
"I guessed that, too.",
"2016 was the 3rd year of application in my yard.",
"I used beetle traps again as well, and I had very few Japanese beetles in the traps this year and no grub-related lawn damage.",
"I did not use any chemicals on the lawn this year, and it appears that my strategy of fighting the beetles on all fronts is successful."
] |
Nothing new in this one. Formula romance that needed more character development. And, also a little closer reading needed on the writer's part. For instance: Heroine drives a '71 Corvette. She "reached into the backseat for her suitcase and toiletry bag." Hello, no backseat in a Corvette! After the hero remarks about the T-Tops on the car, he later eyes the "cherry red convertible." Well, which is it, a convertible or T-Tops? The villain was all too easy to spot and there was nothing really exciting about the plot. I've read better, but I've also read a lot worse. | 1 | neutral | [
"Nothing new in this one.",
"Formula romance that needed more character development.",
"And, also a little closer reading needed on the writer's part.",
"For instance: Heroine drives a '71 Corvette.",
"She \"reached into the backseat for her suitcase and toiletry bag.",
"\" Hello, no backseat in a Corvette!",
"After the hero remarks about the T-Tops on the car, he later eyes the \"cherry red convertible.",
"\" Well, which is it, a convertible or T-Tops?",
"The villain was all too easy to spot and there was nothing really exciting about the plot.",
"I've read better, but I've also read a lot worse."
] |
Pikimin is a game where you play as a space captain who has crash-landed on a strange and hostile planet via crashing into a floating asteroid.(You have to actually see the cutscene; doesn't he know not to drive drunk?)When he leaves to investigate, he notices that his ship has been totaled. As you may have guessed, it's your job to play as Olimar (his name) and find the pieces to the ship within 30 days, as that is as long as his suit's life support systems will last. Luckily, you're not alone, as you will soon find red, yellow & blue creatures. Although each have noticeable differences, they are all of the same species, called Pikmin. They'll do anything for you; even get eaten!
But as for my actual review, I don't really have much to say about this game. As in most Nintendo-made game, there are no difficulty settings and it is mind-bendingly hard. The gameplay mixes strategy and adventure genres, which I like, but what does it matter if each and every one of your Pikmin are going to get eaten by some giant monster? *** | 1 | neutral | [
"Pikimin is a game where you play as a space captain who has crash-landed on a strange and hostile planet via crashing into a floating asteroid.",
"(You have to actually see the cutscene; doesn't he know not to drive drunk?",
")When he leaves to investigate, he notices that his ship has been totaled.",
"As you may have guessed, it's your job to play as Olimar (his name) and find the pieces to the ship within 30 days, as that is as long as his suit's life support systems will last.",
"Luckily, you're not alone, as you will soon find red, yellow & blue creatures.",
"Although each have noticeable differences, they are all of the same species, called Pikmin.",
"They'll do anything for you; even get eaten!",
"But as for my actual review, I don't really have much to say about this game.",
"As in most Nintendo-made game, there are no difficulty settings and it is mind-bendingly hard.",
"The gameplay mixes strategy and adventure genres, which I like, but what does it matter if each and every one of your Pikmin are going to get eaten by some giant monster?",
"***"
] |
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