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I'd give this a 9.7 out of a 1-10 scale. The game was pure Halo but with improved graphics, weapons and story. I'm not sure I understand why some say it had little plot and a bad ending because I thought both were great. The ending was a cliff hanger and cliff hangers are supposed to leave you wanting more - I loved that they did that. I was thrilled when it ended and I heard Master Chief's last words because I knew there would be another sequel.
I played the game on Normal and I quickly finished it in about 12 hours. I like to explore a bit and back track for weapons so it was really even shorter than that. That is my biggest complaint. It felt shorter than the first game. But, to be honest I've finished the first game on Legendary about five times and I fly through it now so it probably isn't a fair judgment to say it was too quick because of my experience with the previous game. I also think a lot is being put into the online gameplay features and for those of us who don't have that option you feel a bit ripped off. But someday, if I'm able to do the live stuff I'll probably be thrilled with all that was put into that.
The controls are very similar with a few minor changes to accomodate for some newer weapon usage, like being able to hold two guns at once. Also the Banshees have some newer features and I had a little confusion with that because I was used to the first game and accidentally blew up another banshee I was going back to exchange with the damaged one I was flying.
It was fun being able to use the Elites sword and the Wraith tank. I got quite good at slaughtering enemies with that sword. I prefer the human tank over the Wraith even though it was fun finally getting a chance to try it.
You can also take over a vehicle that someone else is in by hitting the X button as they go by you and then fighting them for control.
My cons would be:
1. Game a little too short.
2. The cut scenes threw off the flow for me. An example would be in the beginning of the game Master Chief is coming out of an glassed in transport thing and you can see a crowd of soldiers standing there applauding. As he steps out the screen goes white and the then the story picks up again in the same part. I'd prefer if it was just one big scene where he walks out through the crowd with them clapping without the "white" transition. This happens through out the game and I found that frustrating.
3. Some parts of the game were just too dark to see, even with the Master Chiefs light on. When you were playing as the Elite, it was very hard to see at all because he didn't have the luxury of having a light.
4. No more camouflauge triangle things for the humans. But that isn't my complaint. The Covenant apparently doesn't need them anymore because they now have the capability built into the armor but the Elite you get to be in the game's ability to use this is so short it's kind of useless. You push the button to be camouflauged and a few seconds later it already wears off. Early in the game something happens to him (I don't want to give it away) where some see him as an outcast and it's explained to him that his camouflauge capabilities are minimal because they don't trust him yet. So I expected that as the game went on and he gained the trust of his comrades that this ability to camoflauge would increase as the game went on but it didn't. I know they are trying to make it more difficult but it was more of an annoyance.
5. I thought it had a great story and the cut scenes were great but it was very hard to hear what some of the covenant were saying and they put so much effort into having these scenes and the covenant's point of view it would've been nice to be able to hear what they were actually saying at times.
Things I really liked:
1. The Master Chief looked the same, acted the same and sounded the same (Splinter Cell changed what Sam Fisher looked like and that really bugged me).
2. I liked that you were able to get a really good look at some of the Covenant. What I mean is in game one it was really hard to see what they looked like and when they died they always were lying face down so you couldn't see what they looked like. You now have a binocular type feature that you can check them out close up. Also, you get a chance to play with the Hunters on your side and it was fun to be able to walk right up to them and look at them from all angles. You could never do that in the first game because they were too busy killing you and you were too busy running for your life.
3. I thought the AI was more intelligent and crafty than in the first game. In Halo 1 they were harder to kill and dodged your fire more as your selection of difficulty went up. They were doing a lot of this on the Normal difficulty setting. An example would be the Master Chief is in a circular area with a central lift and the covenant can more or less follow his movements from above. As he's coming up the lift, a grunt immediately throws a grenade at him and you have to be quick to dodge it.
4. Seemed like more comments being made by both the convenant and the humans, not as repetitive as before. And they often make you laugh out loud too.
5. I thought the covenant all looked even better. Much more detail in how the Elites looked and the Hunters were taller and more muscular looking. Also harder to kill. You can still shoot them in the "soft" part on the back but they move around a lot more in this game than before. Their weapons are also more intense and go further and are harder to dodge.
6. Mentioned this before but it was fun trying out the sword and the Wraith plus there were a bunch of new weapons to use too. Different weapons worked better on different creatures.
7. Great story. The story divides into two different view points were you get to see what's going on with the Master Chief and then with the Elite. It was great how they managed both stories because as you were playing one you were longing to find out what the other guy was up too.
8. And again, great ending. Some reviewer mentioned that it felt like the story was unfinished and again, I tell you, this is a cliff hanger and that's what is supposed to happen in a cliff hanger. The way it ended was a definite sign to me that there would be another sequel. The story they were working on, in my opinion, was concluded but something happens near the end to let you know that it isn't the end. I felt that way with the first one too.
9. The music. It had music from the first game but also new music that fit right in. I was pleased they kept some of the original because that theme fits so well with Halo.
Lastly, I'd like to recommend to anyone who really enjoys the story part of the game to read the Halo books. They are great. There are currently three books. The first is a prequel to the Halo game and it tells how the Master Chief came about and how he was selected as a young child, kidnapped from his family and replaced with a clone so his family is none the wiser. The second book is based on the game but it is so well done that you don't feel like you are just reading the game but that you are actually in the story. There is so much more added to it. The third is the story between Halo 1 and Halo 2. Now I'm hoping there will be a book covering Halo 2.
I highly recommend this game. I think it is hard for any game to live up to the hype that precedes it and I also feel that if they keep the controls very similar and you've become an expert at the first game, you will go through the second one at a faster rate. I'd be interested to read a review from someone who hasn't had the chance to play the first game first to see how it was for them. But with all that said, I do think it came pretty close to living up to the hype and I can't wait for Halo 3! | 2 | positive | [
"I'd give this a 9.",
"7 out of a 1-10 scale.",
"The game was pure Halo but with improved graphics, weapons and story.",
"I'm not sure I understand why some say it had little plot and a bad ending because I thought both were great.",
"The ending was a cliff hanger and cliff hangers are supposed to leave you wanting more - I loved that they did that.",
"I was thrilled when it ended and I heard Master Chief's last words because I knew there would be another sequel.",
"I played the game on Normal and I quickly finished it in about 12 hours.",
"I like to explore a bit and back track for weapons so it was really even shorter than that.",
"That is my biggest complaint.",
"It felt shorter than the first game.",
"But, to be honest I've finished the first game on Legendary about five times and I fly through it now so it probably isn't a fair judgment to say it was too quick because of my experience with the previous game.",
"I also think a lot is being put into the online gameplay features and for those of us who don't have that option you feel a bit ripped off.",
"But someday, if I'm able to do the live stuff I'll probably be thrilled with all that was put into that.",
"The controls are very similar with a few minor changes to accomodate for some newer weapon usage, like being able to hold two guns at once.",
"Also the Banshees have some newer features and I had a little confusion with that because I was used to the first game and accidentally blew up another banshee I was going back to exchange with the damaged one I was flying.",
"It was fun being able to use the Elites sword and the Wraith tank.",
"I got quite good at slaughtering enemies with that sword.",
"I prefer the human tank over the Wraith even though it was fun finally getting a chance to try it.",
"You can also take over a vehicle that someone else is in by hitting the X button as they go by you and then fighting them for control.",
"My cons would be:\n\n1.",
"Game a little too short.",
"2.",
"The cut scenes threw off the flow for me.",
"An example would be in the beginning of the game Master Chief is coming out of an glassed in transport thing and you can see a crowd of soldiers standing there applauding.",
"As he steps out the screen goes white and the then the story picks up again in the same part.",
"I'd prefer if it was just one big scene where he walks out through the crowd with them clapping without the \"white\" transition.",
"This happens through out the game and I found that frustrating.",
"3.",
"Some parts of the game were just too dark to see, even with the Master Chiefs light on.",
"When you were playing as the Elite, it was very hard to see at all because he didn't have the luxury of having a light.",
"4.",
"No more camouflauge triangle things for the humans.",
"But that isn't my complaint.",
"The Covenant apparently doesn't need them anymore because they now have the capability built into the armor but the Elite you get to be in the game's ability to use this is so short it's kind of useless.",
"You push the button to be camouflauged and a few seconds later it already wears off.",
"Early in the game something happens to him (I don't want to give it away) where some see him as an outcast and it's explained to him that his camouflauge capabilities are minimal because they don't trust him yet.",
"So I expected that as the game went on and he gained the trust of his comrades that this ability to camoflauge would increase as the game went on but it didn't.",
"I know they are trying to make it more difficult but it was more of an annoyance.",
"5.",
"I thought it had a great story and the cut scenes were great but it was very hard to hear what some of the covenant were saying and they put so much effort into having these scenes and the covenant's point of view it would've been nice to be able to hear what they were actually saying at times.",
"Things I really liked:\n\n1.",
"The Master Chief looked the same, acted the same and sounded the same (Splinter Cell changed what Sam Fisher looked like and that really bugged me).",
"2.",
"I liked that you were able to get a really good look at some of the Covenant.",
"What I mean is in game one it was really hard to see what they looked like and when they died they always were lying face down so you couldn't see what they looked like.",
"You now have a binocular type feature that you can check them out close up.",
"Also, you get a chance to play with the Hunters on your side and it was fun to be able to walk right up to them and look at them from all angles.",
"You could never do that in the first game because they were too busy killing you and you were too busy running for your life.",
"3.",
"I thought the AI was more intelligent and crafty than in the first game.",
"In Halo 1 they were harder to kill and dodged your fire more as your selection of difficulty went up.",
"They were doing a lot of this on the Normal difficulty setting.",
"An example would be the Master Chief is in a circular area with a central lift and the covenant can more or less follow his movements from above.",
"As he's coming up the lift, a grunt immediately throws a grenade at him and you have to be quick to dodge it.",
"4.",
"Seemed like more comments being made by both the convenant and the humans, not as repetitive as before.",
"And they often make you laugh out loud too.",
"5.",
"I thought the covenant all looked even better.",
"Much more detail in how the Elites looked and the Hunters were taller and more muscular looking.",
"Also harder to kill.",
"You can still shoot them in the \"soft\" part on the back but they move around a lot more in this game than before.",
"Their weapons are also more intense and go further and are harder to dodge.",
"6.",
"Mentioned this before but it was fun trying out the sword and the Wraith plus there were a bunch of new weapons to use too.",
"Different weapons worked better on different creatures.",
"7.",
"Great story.",
"The story divides into two different view points were you get to see what's going on with the Master Chief and then with the Elite.",
"It was great how they managed both stories because as you were playing one you were longing to find out what the other guy was up too.",
"8.",
"And again, great ending.",
"Some reviewer mentioned that it felt like the story was unfinished and again, I tell you, this is a cliff hanger and that's what is supposed to happen in a cliff hanger.",
"The way it ended was a definite sign to me that there would be another sequel.",
"The story they were working on, in my opinion, was concluded but something happens near the end to let you know that it isn't the end.",
"I felt that way with the first one too.",
"9.",
"The music.",
"It had music from the first game but also new music that fit right in.",
"I was pleased they kept some of the original because that theme fits so well with Halo.",
"Lastly, I'd like to recommend to anyone who really enjoys the story part of the game to read the Halo books.",
"They are great.",
"There are currently three books.",
"The first is a prequel to the Halo game and it tells how the Master Chief came about and how he was selected as a young child, kidnapped from his family and replaced with a clone so his family is none the wiser.",
"The second book is based on the game but it is so well done that you don't feel like you are just reading the game but that you are actually in the story.",
"There is so much more added to it.",
"The third is the story between Halo 1 and Halo 2.",
"Now I'm hoping there will be a book covering Halo 2.",
"I highly recommend this game.",
"I think it is hard for any game to live up to the hype that precedes it and I also feel that if they keep the controls very similar and you've become an expert at the first game, you will go through the second one at a faster rate.",
"I'd be interested to read a review from someone who hasn't had the chance to play the first game first to see how it was for them.",
"But with all that said, I do think it came pretty close to living up to the hype and I can't wait for Halo 3!"
] |
This is a nice product. Good quality, arrived quickly. Mine did come with the security bungee strap. It's actually attached to a seperate piece that goes between the base part and the cradle part. Pretty cool. Unfortunately, there's no space at all on the handlebars to put it on my sportbike. I ended up tie strapping it to the triple tree. Grips the phone quite well and with the bungee strap, I feel it's pretty secure. Phone is Evo 3D with the otter box case. 5 stars. | 2 | positive | [
"This is a nice product.",
"Good quality, arrived quickly.",
"Mine did come with the security bungee strap.",
"It's actually attached to a seperate piece that goes between the base part and the cradle part.",
"Pretty cool.",
"Unfortunately, there's no space at all on the handlebars to put it on my sportbike.",
"I ended up tie strapping it to the triple tree.",
"Grips the phone quite well and with the bungee strap, I feel it's pretty secure.",
"Phone is Evo 3D with the otter box case.",
"5 stars."
] |
OK, I'm committing Rush blasphemy by giving an early Rush album anything less than 5 stars.. Sorry about that. But first I should say early Rush is my hands-down favorite era - - - basically all 70s and early 80s Rush is my era! I'm listening to this ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE from the Rush Sector One package I got recently - - which includes the first 5 albums. *A note on this box set - - the remastering is really excellent and the albums are off the hook. Fly By Night includes a DVD audio as well as remastered CD - - both of which sound great. Yes, huge 5 stars for the Sector 1 Box.
As for ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE (included in that package) - - one can only shake their head that Rush didn't record more of their early live concerts. It's not a bad album but it's not great either - overall. The ACOUSTICS of the venue they played don't do much for Geddy's vocals - - - and I hear no difference on the remaster, not to mention that Geddy himself seems more 'by the numbers' than usual - - i.e. many songs sounding more perfunctory than inspired.... some of the numbers seem slower than they should be.. I don't know, I just don't feel they're as ON as they could be. For a great live treat by early Rush - try ABC 1974.. raw but on fire, I'd recommend that live album over STAGE any day. (Also see RUSH - Live at Electric Lady Studios, December 1974 available though haven't heard it yet).
Final summation: Stage is worth a listen but doesn't capture the beast of early live Rush both in terms of venue acoustics - and performance. Remastering can't fix these problems. | 2 | positive | [
"OK, I'm committing Rush blasphemy by giving an early Rush album anything less than 5 stars..",
"Sorry about that.",
"But first I should say early Rush is my hands-down favorite era - - - basically all 70s and early 80s Rush is my era!",
"I'm listening to this ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE from the Rush Sector One package I got recently - - which includes the first 5 albums.",
"*A note on this box set - - the remastering is really excellent and the albums are off the hook.",
"Fly By Night includes a DVD audio as well as remastered CD - - both of which sound great.",
"Yes, huge 5 stars for the Sector 1 Box.",
"As for ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE (included in that package) - - one can only shake their head that Rush didn't record more of their early live concerts.",
"It's not a bad album but it's not great either - overall.",
"The ACOUSTICS of the venue they played don't do much for Geddy's vocals - - - and I hear no difference on the remaster, not to mention that Geddy himself seems more 'by the numbers' than usual - - i.",
"e. many songs sounding more perfunctory than inspired....",
"some of the numbers seem slower than they should be..",
"I don't know, I just don't feel they're as ON as they could be.",
"For a great live treat by early Rush - try ABC 1974..",
"raw but on fire, I'd recommend that live album over STAGE any day.",
"(Also see RUSH - Live at Electric Lady Studios, December 1974 available though haven't heard it yet).",
"Final summation: Stage is worth a listen but doesn't capture the beast of early live Rush both in terms of venue acoustics - and performance.",
"Remastering can't fix these problems."
] |
The last few years have seen some classic films that have been given back their old lustre via restoration, including such films as, My Fair Lady, Vertigo, Lawrence Of Arabia to name just a few. These films as well as this film have been restored by the restoration mavericks Robert A. Harris, and James Katz.
I must say after seeing an advance copy of this film that Rear Window looks incredible, especially compared to the Laser Disc copy I have as well as the poor copies that have been showing up on television and VHS over the years.
The colors are vibrant, in particular the reds which don't give a hint of bleeding into the frame, and the image looks I imagine as close to the original as possible given the fact that this film is almost fifty years old now.
The aspect ratio is 1.66:1 which is the proper framing for this film, the sound is the original mono soundtrack and has been scrubbed up to remove any audio imperfections that have built up over the years.
Also included on this disc is a 55 minute documentary titled, Rear Window Ethics:Remembering a Hitchock Classic which is quite enjoyable.
There is a still frame gallery, a shorter documentary with the screenwriter John Michael Hayes, as well as the standard fare of biographies, filomgraphies etc.
All in all a quite impressive package and should be of interest to any Hitchcock fan as well as Cinema fans in general. | 2 | positive | [
"The last few years have seen some classic films that have been given back their old lustre via restoration, including such films as, My Fair Lady, Vertigo, Lawrence Of Arabia to name just a few.",
"These films as well as this film have been restored by the restoration mavericks Robert A.",
"Harris, and James Katz.",
"I must say after seeing an advance copy of this film that Rear Window looks incredible, especially compared to the Laser Disc copy I have as well as the poor copies that have been showing up on television and VHS over the years.",
"The colors are vibrant, in particular the reds which don't give a hint of bleeding into the frame, and the image looks I imagine as close to the original as possible given the fact that this film is almost fifty years old now.",
"The aspect ratio is 1.",
"66:1 which is the proper framing for this film, the sound is the original mono soundtrack and has been scrubbed up to remove any audio imperfections that have built up over the years.",
"Also included on this disc is a 55 minute documentary titled, Rear Window Ethics:Remembering a Hitchock Classic which is quite enjoyable.",
"There is a still frame gallery, a shorter documentary with the screenwriter John Michael Hayes, as well as the standard fare of biographies, filomgraphies etc.",
"All in all a quite impressive package and should be of interest to any Hitchcock fan as well as Cinema fans in general."
] |
If your looking for a HALO type game this is NOT it,but if you like stealthy hide in the shadows covert action type gameplay with gourgeous graphics than this is a must buy or rent .I recently put in my old splinter cell game and noticed improvments graphicaly on PANDORA . For me the only way to take out enemies is with a head shot(once you get your rifle),cause you have plenty of time to set up your shot. I only wish this game had more levels. Before you know it your done. But its still an awesome game. The gameplay is very smooth. I think its better than the first SPLINTER CELL.But again I say if your looking for a FPS ,this is not a RUN & GUN shooter. Its a stealth game which I found easy to play. But Ive been playing games since BEFORE missle command and pong. So some novice players might get frustrated. Graphics are even better with a "S" video cable or better yet a component cable. I just wish it had at least 20 or more levels/locations . But still a SOLID game. | 2 | positive | [
"If your looking for a HALO type game this is NOT it,but if you like stealthy hide in the shadows covert action type gameplay with gourgeous graphics than this is a must buy or rent.",
"I recently put in my old splinter cell game and noticed improvments graphicaly on PANDORA.",
"For me the only way to take out enemies is with a head shot(once you get your rifle),cause you have plenty of time to set up your shot.",
"I only wish this game had more levels.",
"Before you know it your done.",
"But its still an awesome game.",
"The gameplay is very smooth.",
"I think its better than the first SPLINTER CELL.",
"But again I say if your looking for a FPS ,this is not a RUN & GUN shooter.",
"Its a stealth game which I found easy to play.",
"But Ive been playing games since BEFORE missle command and pong.",
"So some novice players might get frustrated.",
"Graphics are even better with a \"S\" video cable or better yet a component cable.",
"I just wish it had at least 20 or more levels/locations.",
"But still a SOLID game."
] |
This album and this band singlehandly changed my life forever. I was probably 13 or 14 when I discovered Guns N'Roses. Once I discovered them I just want to be like them. Drinking, smoking, being a tattooed millionaire, living in a masion, and screwing supermodels. That was it! That's maybe what life is all about? There were my heroes and their still my heroes. I still the sixth member of the original GN'R lineup.
As mentioned above, this album is more of a symbol than a masterpiece. Since The Rolling Stones and Sex Pistols, these guys were the ultimate bad boys of rock n'roll. They created a new era. But unfortunately for millions of fans across the world it was too good to be true. The band didn't survive to his own fame, Axl' gigantic ego, and abuses of all kind. It was sad, the new Rolling Stones self-destruct! What could have been the greatest band in the world became an underachieved act. All the scam begun when original bandmate Steven Adler was fired. It was already the beginning of the end. Then Izzy Stardlin left and the rest is history.
Musically speaking, "Sweet Child O Mine" is probably the greatest song ever write by a human being. "Paradise City" is in my view the most ass-kicking anthem of all-time. And "Welcome to the Jungle" marks a sight of time.
Buy this album and adopts GN'R philosophy.
That's what life is all about! | 2 | positive | [
"This album and this band singlehandly changed my life forever.",
"I was probably 13 or 14 when I discovered Guns N'Roses.",
"Once I discovered them I just want to be like them.",
"Drinking, smoking, being a tattooed millionaire, living in a masion, and screwing supermodels.",
"That was it!",
"That's maybe what life is all about?",
"There were my heroes and their still my heroes.",
"I still the sixth member of the original GN'R lineup.",
"As mentioned above, this album is more of a symbol than a masterpiece.",
"Since The Rolling Stones and Sex Pistols, these guys were the ultimate bad boys of rock n'roll.",
"They created a new era.",
"But unfortunately for millions of fans across the world it was too good to be true.",
"The band didn't survive to his own fame, Axl' gigantic ego, and abuses of all kind.",
"It was sad, the new Rolling Stones self-destruct!",
"What could have been the greatest band in the world became an underachieved act.",
"All the scam begun when original bandmate Steven Adler was fired.",
"It was already the beginning of the end.",
"Then Izzy Stardlin left and the rest is history.",
"Musically speaking, \"Sweet Child O Mine\" is probably the greatest song ever write by a human being.",
"\"Paradise City\" is in my view the most ass-kicking anthem of all-time.",
"And \"Welcome to the Jungle\" marks a sight of time.",
"Buy this album and adopts GN'R philosophy.",
"That's what life is all about!"
] |
I love these little things. So glad I jumped in and purchased one. I've tried a few espresso machines, but I'm not going to pay hundreds of dollars for a "good one". I've had a few that were sub $100, but they really don't last long. I've had my Bialetti for a while now and will never go back to a big bulky machine. Nothing beats the classic way to make espresso. There's one or two nerds on here who claim this isn't a real espresso. But it is. These still use pressure to force the water through the coffee grounds. My Italian grandparents always had something like this to make espresso when I was a kid. | 2 | positive | [
"I love these little things.",
"So glad I jumped in and purchased one.",
"I've tried a few espresso machines, but I'm not going to pay hundreds of dollars for a \"good one\".",
"I've had a few that were sub $100, but they really don't last long.",
"I've had my Bialetti for a while now and will never go back to a big bulky machine.",
"Nothing beats the classic way to make espresso.",
"There's one or two nerds on here who claim this isn't a real espresso.",
"But it is.",
"These still use pressure to force the water through the coffee grounds.",
"My Italian grandparents always had something like this to make espresso when I was a kid."
] |
The best arcade titles of the ninties are here in this collection. This generation is real lucky to have so many games on one disc. This has Rampage World Tour, Mortal Kombat II and III, APB, NARC, and Primal Rage (Just to name the ones I really like and warrant a buy by themselves). These were games on SNES and Genesis, and now they are on a complation disc.
I did not care for the other Midway Arcade Treasures. The first collection had 8-bit games that just don't look AS GOOD anymore. The Third has racing games, and I don't have a problem with racing games, but they aren't my cup of tea. The PSP version, Extended Play, is the best for content, but as for playability it is minimal. The PSP just does not control as well as a Playstation controller.
This one has good graphics, excellent games, and is completely replayable. That said, the games were meant to eat quarters. The fact that we have no limit to some games like Rampage sort of kills the effect, and the repedative nature of some games is a little painful. But for your money this is the best collection Midway has released. | 2 | positive | [
"The best arcade titles of the ninties are here in this collection.",
"This generation is real lucky to have so many games on one disc.",
"This has Rampage World Tour, Mortal Kombat II and III, APB, NARC, and Primal Rage (Just to name the ones I really like and warrant a buy by themselves).",
"These were games on SNES and Genesis, and now they are on a complation disc.",
"I did not care for the other Midway Arcade Treasures.",
"The first collection had 8-bit games that just don't look AS GOOD anymore.",
"The Third has racing games, and I don't have a problem with racing games, but they aren't my cup of tea.",
"The PSP version, Extended Play, is the best for content, but as for playability it is minimal.",
"The PSP just does not control as well as a Playstation controller.",
"This one has good graphics, excellent games, and is completely replayable.",
"That said, the games were meant to eat quarters.",
"The fact that we have no limit to some games like Rampage sort of kills the effect, and the repedative nature of some games is a little painful.",
"But for your money this is the best collection Midway has released."
] |
This is a super nice eye serum that glides on super easy, then settles into my skin. Part of the instructions say to follow it with moisturizer, but I have found that I don't need to, it has just enough moisture on its own. This is a think clear-milky formula. One pump dispensed is too much for both eyes, so I carefully pump out just a little less, then I tap it onto the eye area with my ring fingers. It either dries in place or soaks in very easily. Some days a put a very small amount of light eye cream on to supplement it, but most days I don't need to. I really love this, but the price tag is just too high for only a half ounce of product. I'm hoping that, since you don't need a full pump, that this will last for a while. I know I'll miss it. It could totally be wishful thinking on my part, but I could swear that it smooths out the fine lines under my eyes. As for the dark shadows (I have seriously bad dark shadows), I don't know if it works on those yet. But I'm mainly thrilled with the smoothing effect this cream has. | 2 | positive | [
"This is a super nice eye serum that glides on super easy, then settles into my skin.",
"Part of the instructions say to follow it with moisturizer, but I have found that I don't need to, it has just enough moisture on its own.",
"This is a think clear-milky formula.",
"One pump dispensed is too much for both eyes, so I carefully pump out just a little less, then I tap it onto the eye area with my ring fingers.",
"It either dries in place or soaks in very easily.",
"Some days a put a very small amount of light eye cream on to supplement it, but most days I don't need to.",
"I really love this, but the price tag is just too high for only a half ounce of product.",
"I'm hoping that, since you don't need a full pump, that this will last for a while.",
"I know I'll miss it.",
"It could totally be wishful thinking on my part, but I could swear that it smooths out the fine lines under my eyes.",
"As for the dark shadows (I have seriously bad dark shadows), I don't know if it works on those yet.",
"But I'm mainly thrilled with the smoothing effect this cream has."
] |
I was 17 years old and had been playing guitar since I was 8... Music and the guitar were my life and my destiny. I'd busted my young chops on The Beatles, The Stones, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and so many others that I can't possibly mention them all. I was already playing in bands and "mapping out my future" as a musician. Fusion had come on strong with the likes of John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return To Forever (including Di Meola), Weather Report and so on... Al's first solo record "Land Of The Midnight Sun" was cool and exciting - But when "Elegant Gypsy" arrived, a very large portion of the guitar community paused to take a breath. This was it: a great guitarist with excellent tones, exciting compositions & arrangements, production of the highest order... and all surrounded by excellent players - Not to mention the absolutely legendary duet with Paco De Lucia!
In short - The bar had been raised. The overwhelming response to this album and Al Di Meola as a guitarist speaks for itself. His influence, whether directly or in-directly, can be felt thru-out the decades that have followed. He made the ability to play on this level a reality for so many guitarists. I could make a list of them here, but it doesn't really matter. You can trust me that many guitar players have owned a copy of this puppy! (Apparently, half a million copies sold out the gate)
The thing about Di Meola, in comparison to so much of the "shred" that followed, is his sense of composition and arrangement. Even at a young age here, he clearly showed the signs of an original and stirring composer, which of course he has become. He exhibited an excellent ear for production (arguably being one of the best sounding Fusion albums ever recorded) and his voice on the instrument was incredibly fresh, exciting and unique. All from an American guitarist who wasn't yet 25 years of age! | 2 | positive | [
"I was 17 years old and had been playing guitar since I was 8...",
"Music and the guitar were my life and my destiny.",
"I'd busted my young chops on The Beatles, The Stones, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and so many others that I can't possibly mention them all.",
"I was already playing in bands and \"mapping out my future\" as a musician.",
"Fusion had come on strong with the likes of John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return To Forever (including Di Meola), Weather Report and so on...",
"Al's first solo record \"Land Of The Midnight Sun\" was cool and exciting - But when \"Elegant Gypsy\" arrived, a very large portion of the guitar community paused to take a breath.",
"This was it: a great guitarist with excellent tones, exciting compositions & arrangements, production of the highest order...",
"and all surrounded by excellent players - Not to mention the absolutely legendary duet with Paco De Lucia!",
"In short - The bar had been raised.",
"The overwhelming response to this album and Al Di Meola as a guitarist speaks for itself.",
"His influence, whether directly or in-directly, can be felt thru-out the decades that have followed.",
"He made the ability to play on this level a reality for so many guitarists.",
"I could make a list of them here, but it doesn't really matter.",
"You can trust me that many guitar players have owned a copy of this puppy!",
"(Apparently, half a million copies sold out the gate)\n\nThe thing about Di Meola, in comparison to so much of the \"shred\" that followed, is his sense of composition and arrangement.",
"Even at a young age here, he clearly showed the signs of an original and stirring composer, which of course he has become.",
"He exhibited an excellent ear for production (arguably being one of the best sounding Fusion albums ever recorded) and his voice on the instrument was incredibly fresh, exciting and unique.",
"All from an American guitarist who wasn't yet 25 years of age!"
] |
Believe me paper matters. When you put the wrong paper in your printer, you get very weird results.
P.S. This review was before I had used Kodak's One Touch to better Pictures. Please see my Kodak Paper review prior to making your buying decision. I was really impressed with what Kodak did.
REVIEW IS BASED ON USE ON THE EPSON 890:
When I bought my Epson 890, I bought several different packs of Epson paper, this 8 X 10 one, an 8.5 X 11 one and some 4 X 6 sheets as well as the roll paper. See my separate reviews on the others items (including the printer) also on this site, if you are interested in them. However, finally, I got around to trying the 8 x 10 paper. You see you wait until you have the perfect picture to do an enlargement.
NICE QUALITY IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT USES
It did not dissappoint. Wow, the colors were great. I took several types of pictures and different lighting and the result were great. Now that I've tried it I'm hooked. People who have seen the pictures first of all can't believe they are off an inkjet printer. Then they marvel at the color and sharpness of the photo.
PAPER AND PRINTER INTERATION:
One caution, those of you that think you can use any paper on any printer... Forget it. I had some paper from another supplier and when I used it on the Epson, the ghostly images were terrible. It seems not surprisingly that the printers are optimized for their papers. And to be honest, it is not worth the money to me to try a bunch of other manufacturer's paper only to find out the results would be bad.
EASIER TO FIND ON THE WEB THAN IN THE STORES:
This paper is easier to find on the net. I have looked in my usual spots for this paper off the web and considering not only computer, office supply and grocery stores it is just not out there.
Great product... Enjoy. | 2 | positive | [
"Believe me paper matters.",
"When you put the wrong paper in your printer, you get very weird results.",
"P.",
"S. This review was before I had used Kodak's One Touch to better Pictures.",
"Please see my Kodak Paper review prior to making your buying decision.",
"I was really impressed with what Kodak did.",
"REVIEW IS BASED ON USE ON THE EPSON 890:\nWhen I bought my Epson 890, I bought several different packs of Epson paper, this 8 X 10 one, an 8.",
"5 X 11 one and some 4 X 6 sheets as well as the roll paper.",
"See my separate reviews on the others items (including the printer) also on this site, if you are interested in them.",
"However, finally, I got around to trying the 8 x 10 paper.",
"You see you wait until you have the perfect picture to do an enlargement.",
"NICE QUALITY IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT USES\nIt did not dissappoint.",
"Wow, the colors were great.",
"I took several types of pictures and different lighting and the result were great.",
"Now that I've tried it I'm hooked.",
"People who have seen the pictures first of all can't believe they are off an inkjet printer.",
"Then they marvel at the color and sharpness of the photo.",
"PAPER AND PRINTER INTERATION:\nOne caution, those of you that think you can use any paper on any printer...",
"Forget it.",
"I had some paper from another supplier and when I used it on the Epson, the ghostly images were terrible.",
"It seems not surprisingly that the printers are optimized for their papers.",
"And to be honest, it is not worth the money to me to try a bunch of other manufacturer's paper only to find out the results would be bad.",
"EASIER TO FIND ON THE WEB THAN IN THE STORES:\nThis paper is easier to find on the net.",
"I have looked in my usual spots for this paper off the web and considering not only computer, office supply and grocery stores it is just not out there.",
"Great product...",
"Enjoy."
] |
Part's music defies classification. We can call him Minimalist, yet much of his material expands beyond that genre--almost to the point of neo-romanticism, but not really. At first hearing, Part, is inoffensive and strangely luring. Soon the listener is sitting in front of the speaker asking for more and more an more...like an addictive and degrading drug.
Well, not really much like an addictive and degrading drug at all...more like extremely likable music. While not overwhelmingly profound, Part is never shallow, either. "Fratres" is actually several different pieces written from roughly the same material, and arranged for several different types of ensembles. I have been particularly enraptured by the setting for cello and piano, which displays some rather virtuosic playing.
The performances on this disc are all outstanding--it is odd how such obscure orchestras like the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra are snubbed for bigger but by no means better names. | 2 | positive | [
"Part's music defies classification.",
"We can call him Minimalist, yet much of his material expands beyond that genre--almost to the point of neo-romanticism, but not really.",
"At first hearing, Part, is inoffensive and strangely luring.",
"Soon the listener is sitting in front of the speaker asking for more and more an more...",
"like an addictive and degrading drug.",
"Well, not really much like an addictive and degrading drug at all...",
"more like extremely likable music.",
"While not overwhelmingly profound, Part is never shallow, either.",
"\"Fratres\" is actually several different pieces written from roughly the same material, and arranged for several different types of ensembles.",
"I have been particularly enraptured by the setting for cello and piano, which displays some rather virtuosic playing.",
"The performances on this disc are all outstanding--it is odd how such obscure orchestras like the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra are snubbed for bigger but by no means better names."
] |
When I bought a vinyl copy of "Sittin' In" back in 1972, I did it mostly because of Messina's name being on the album. He was, after all, a founding member of one of my favorite bands of all time--Poco. I knew Kenny Loggins only as a songwriter from the Dirt Band's "Uncle Charlie Album," which included four of his songs. [One of them, "House at Pooh Corner," is included here from L&M's debut.] I was expecting a more country-rock sound considering their connection to that particular genre, but other than "Listen to a Country Song" from their debut, this is primarily a pop act. So once I accepted that, I recognized the duo for the excellent pop craftsmen they were.
I still enjoy their uptempo numbers best ("Your Mama Don't Dance," "My Music"), but Loggins wrote some lovely ballads also ("Danny's Song")as did Messina ("Be Free"). My only complaint is that with a running time of under 40 minutes, this 1976 release is long overdue for a CD update. The length could easily be doubled to include tracks from either of their live albums, something from "Native Sons," (which came out the same year as this "best of" and so as to not hurt sales, didn't get represented here), include minor hits like "Nobody But You" and also include album versions of songs rather than single edits. Until Columbia decides to expand this anthology, you should also consider their first two albums (which contains six of the 10 songs here). This is infectious music. RECOMMENDED | 2 | positive | [
"When I bought a vinyl copy of \"Sittin' In\" back in 1972, I did it mostly because of Messina's name being on the album.",
"He was, after all, a founding member of one of my favorite bands of all time--Poco.",
"I knew Kenny Loggins only as a songwriter from the Dirt Band's \"Uncle Charlie Album,\" which included four of his songs.",
"[One of them, \"House at Pooh Corner,\" is included here from L&M's debut.",
"] I was expecting a more country-rock sound considering their connection to that particular genre, but other than \"Listen to a Country Song\" from their debut, this is primarily a pop act.",
"So once I accepted that, I recognized the duo for the excellent pop craftsmen they were.",
"I still enjoy their uptempo numbers best (\"Your Mama Don't Dance,\" \"My Music\"), but Loggins wrote some lovely ballads also (\"Danny's Song\")as did Messina (\"Be Free\").",
"My only complaint is that with a running time of under 40 minutes, this 1976 release is long overdue for a CD update.",
"The length could easily be doubled to include tracks from either of their live albums, something from \"Native Sons,\" (which came out the same year as this \"best of\" and so as to not hurt sales, didn't get represented here), include minor hits like \"Nobody But You\" and also include album versions of songs rather than single edits.",
"Until Columbia decides to expand this anthology, you should also consider their first two albums (which contains six of the 10 songs here).",
"This is infectious music.",
"RECOMMENDED"
] |
I bought this as a vinyl EP record when it first came out in 1983 or so, and played it until the grooves wore out. It is definitely one of the great musical documents of the era - one of my favorites - and captures a moment in time that I have been reliving for 25 years.
I was thrilled when the original CD version came out in the early 90s, but like many people, was shocked to find that they had cut a part out of the middle of The Electric Co., where Bono is doing some vocal riffing and climbing the tower on the side of the stage. It's the pivotal part of the song, and when you know it's there it's like cutting the heart out of the song. I don't know what it sounds like if you've never heard the uncut version, but to me it entirely kills it. All I can figure is there were some royalty issues concerning "Send in the Clowns" which he is riffing on. The uncut VHS tape also went out of print a long time ago.
After waiting for many years for this to be remastered, I was hoping so much that they would restore the uncut version of the song. You'd think after all these years any copyright problems could be taken care of. However, the cut is still there, and it is in fact, EVEN BIGGER. Yes, there is an even bigger chunk out of the song at the same place. I guess they thought it would flow better that way, but it still sounds like crap. I've never heard any official explaination, but I suppose it's possible that the uncut tapes simply don't exist anymore. After all, this was recorded for a German TV show, not for a live album or with any notion that we'd be using it 25 years later. Either that or it's just laziness or greed. I don't know, but it's very disappointing.
Overall, the remastering is OK, but the audio quality is not really that much better than the original CD, there aren't any of the additional songs that are on the new DVD, and it has an even worse cut in the Electric Co. (Note that the DVD has the same cut, as well as a couple of other similar edits. The entire part where Bono climbs the tower is gone. If you want to see that you need to get an old VHS copy.) So, if you already have the original CD, you might not feel the need to buy this one. If you are expecting it to be uncut like the original EP, you will be disappointed. Get the DVD for the additional songs, though - they should have at least put them on the CD. | 2 | positive | [
"I bought this as a vinyl EP record when it first came out in 1983 or so, and played it until the grooves wore out.",
"It is definitely one of the great musical documents of the era - one of my favorites - and captures a moment in time that I have been reliving for 25 years.",
"I was thrilled when the original CD version came out in the early 90s, but like many people, was shocked to find that they had cut a part out of the middle of The Electric Co.",
", where Bono is doing some vocal riffing and climbing the tower on the side of the stage.",
"It's the pivotal part of the song, and when you know it's there it's like cutting the heart out of the song.",
"I don't know what it sounds like if you've never heard the uncut version, but to me it entirely kills it.",
"All I can figure is there were some royalty issues concerning \"Send in the Clowns\" which he is riffing on.",
"The uncut VHS tape also went out of print a long time ago.",
"After waiting for many years for this to be remastered, I was hoping so much that they would restore the uncut version of the song.",
"You'd think after all these years any copyright problems could be taken care of.",
"However, the cut is still there, and it is in fact, EVEN BIGGER.",
"Yes, there is an even bigger chunk out of the song at the same place.",
"I guess they thought it would flow better that way, but it still sounds like crap.",
"I've never heard any official explaination, but I suppose it's possible that the uncut tapes simply don't exist anymore.",
"After all, this was recorded for a German TV show, not for a live album or with any notion that we'd be using it 25 years later.",
"Either that or it's just laziness or greed.",
"I don't know, but it's very disappointing.",
"Overall, the remastering is OK, but the audio quality is not really that much better than the original CD, there aren't any of the additional songs that are on the new DVD, and it has an even worse cut in the Electric Co.",
"(Note that the DVD has the same cut, as well as a couple of other similar edits.",
"The entire part where Bono climbs the tower is gone.",
"If you want to see that you need to get an old VHS copy.",
") So, if you already have the original CD, you might not feel the need to buy this one.",
"If you are expecting it to be uncut like the original EP, you will be disappointed.",
"Get the DVD for the additional songs, though - they should have at least put them on the CD."
] |
The color in the case is quite pink. However, as tends to be the case with many types of blush, once applied the blush can be rather faint. Of course, the purpose of blush is to be relatively faint. Otherwise, the blush looks like clown makeup.
For application, use a large diameter, high quality makeup brush. The brush will hold the blush adequately during transfer from makeup case to face.
As we noted above, the makeup is relatively light when applied. We resisted the temptation to apply the blush more thickly. For a darker or more heavy looking blush, a darker or brighter color should be used rather than glopping the blush on. The goal is finesse, not pancake.
We are not too sure about hiding imperfections. Frankly, the significant other has small pores, so the blush is no help there. Indeed, the significant other has nice skin, so the primary purpose of the blush is to provide a bit of color and glow, which it does in a nice subtle way.
The significant other has tried many kinds of blush over the years, from very cheap to quite expensive. This blush provides features similar to more expensive blushes without breaking the bank. Yes, this blush is definitely more expensive than what the local discount store sells, but it has features more akin to the makeup found at high end department stores, at a lower price than many of the blushes sold in department stores (though not all).
Enjoy! | 2 | positive | [
"The color in the case is quite pink.",
"However, as tends to be the case with many types of blush, once applied the blush can be rather faint.",
"Of course, the purpose of blush is to be relatively faint.",
"Otherwise, the blush looks like clown makeup.",
"For application, use a large diameter, high quality makeup brush.",
"The brush will hold the blush adequately during transfer from makeup case to face.",
"As we noted above, the makeup is relatively light when applied.",
"We resisted the temptation to apply the blush more thickly.",
"For a darker or more heavy looking blush, a darker or brighter color should be used rather than glopping the blush on.",
"The goal is finesse, not pancake.",
"We are not too sure about hiding imperfections.",
"Frankly, the significant other has small pores, so the blush is no help there.",
"Indeed, the significant other has nice skin, so the primary purpose of the blush is to provide a bit of color and glow, which it does in a nice subtle way.",
"The significant other has tried many kinds of blush over the years, from very cheap to quite expensive.",
"This blush provides features similar to more expensive blushes without breaking the bank.",
"Yes, this blush is definitely more expensive than what the local discount store sells, but it has features more akin to the makeup found at high end department stores, at a lower price than many of the blushes sold in department stores (though not all).",
"Enjoy!"
] |
Two of my favorite authors back together again?? Yes please!!! I love Elle Kennedy's novels. And I love Sarina Bowen's novels. When they co-author a book, I swear sparks fly. After reading their novels Him and Us, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Top Secret! It's classic Kennedy/Bowen magic, this book - the humor, the snarkiness, and of course the heat! Keaton and Luke are very different guys, but damn do they fit together perfectly. I love how the story starts, and how they don't know each other really - they just know each other on the app. It was hilarious to see them snipping at each other in their frat house but then joking around and sexting on the app - they had no idea! I was really curious as to how they were going to find out each other's identity. I think this part of the book was my favorite - the messages between these two guys, neither knowing who the other is. It was very entertaining. Eventually, they do find out who the other is, and this changes the whole course of their relationship. Luke is distrustful of Keaton, and Keaton struggles with merging Luke and his app handle as the same person. It's an adjustment, to say the least. Each guy has a lot to deal with family drama wise. It was a bit frustrating that Luke kept refusing to accept Keaton's help, but I get where he's coming from. His mother and brother don't treat him like family should, and that's made him distrustful of a lot of people. But Keaton eventually starts to gain some of that hard-earned trust, and I loved getting to watch their relationship develop, even though the threat of it falling apart is always there. I absolutely love all of Keaton's random animal facts - they were hilarious! Also, I wish I could see Luke dance in person LOL. I do feel like the ending is a bit rushed, and I wish that some of the side characters had a bit more depth to them, but overall I really enjoyed this novel. I've said it before and I'll say it again, anything these two authors write I will buy right away - it's just an extra bonus when they decide to write together! I hope we have more collaborations in the future ... | 2 | positive | [
"Two of my favorite authors back together again??",
"Yes please!!!",
"I love Elle Kennedy's novels.",
"And I love Sarina Bowen's novels.",
"When they co-author a book, I swear sparks fly.",
"After reading their novels Him and Us, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Top Secret!",
"It's classic Kennedy/Bowen magic, this book - the humor, the snarkiness, and of course the heat!",
"Keaton and Luke are very different guys, but damn do they fit together perfectly.",
"I love how the story starts, and how they don't know each other really - they just know each other on the app.",
"It was hilarious to see them snipping at each other in their frat house but then joking around and sexting on the app - they had no idea!",
"I was really curious as to how they were going to find out each other's identity.",
"I think this part of the book was my favorite - the messages between these two guys, neither knowing who the other is.",
"It was very entertaining.",
"Eventually, they do find out who the other is, and this changes the whole course of their relationship.",
"Luke is distrustful of Keaton, and Keaton struggles with merging Luke and his app handle as the same person.",
"It's an adjustment, to say the least.",
"Each guy has a lot to deal with family drama wise.",
"It was a bit frustrating that Luke kept refusing to accept Keaton's help, but I get where he's coming from.",
"His mother and brother don't treat him like family should, and that's made him distrustful of a lot of people.",
"But Keaton eventually starts to gain some of that hard-earned trust, and I loved getting to watch their relationship develop, even though the threat of it falling apart is always there.",
"I absolutely love all of Keaton's random animal facts - they were hilarious!",
"Also, I wish I could see Luke dance in person LOL.",
"I do feel like the ending is a bit rushed, and I wish that some of the side characters had a bit more depth to them, but overall I really enjoyed this novel.",
"I've said it before and I'll say it again, anything these two authors write I will buy right away - it's just an extra bonus when they decide to write together!",
"I hope we have more collaborations in the future..."
] |
I am a teacher and I buy scientific calculators for my classes' use. This one has always been a favorite of mine. It is sturdy so many hyperactive fingers trying to pry off calculator buttons are not usually enough to mar it. The buttons also do not wear so ten years later, after many button presses, you can still read the button. The one con is that with the cover, it is too thick to fit in my caddy which holds sets of ten calculators each. But 30 years ago I used this calculator (or the one that is similar with a slightly different model number) and not only is it great still, but it has many features that others don't have. It has three memories, a stat feature which allows you to enter a list of numbers and get the mean, median, mode, standard deviation and other stuff. Not quite enough for an AP Stat course but enough for a nice basic course which includes stats. It has the usual trig and log functions, and they are entered "backwards" as many are, as sin30 is entered 30sin. This is a nice and relatively inexpensive and STURDY calculator. | 2 | positive | [
"I am a teacher and I buy scientific calculators for my classes' use.",
"This one has always been a favorite of mine.",
"It is sturdy so many hyperactive fingers trying to pry off calculator buttons are not usually enough to mar it.",
"The buttons also do not wear so ten years later, after many button presses, you can still read the button.",
"The one con is that with the cover, it is too thick to fit in my caddy which holds sets of ten calculators each.",
"But 30 years ago I used this calculator (or the one that is similar with a slightly different model number) and not only is it great still, but it has many features that others don't have.",
"It has three memories, a stat feature which allows you to enter a list of numbers and get the mean, median, mode, standard deviation and other stuff.",
"Not quite enough for an AP Stat course but enough for a nice basic course which includes stats.",
"It has the usual trig and log functions, and they are entered \"backwards\" as many are, as sin30 is entered 30sin.",
"This is a nice and relatively inexpensive and STURDY calculator."
] |
The Demon Lover
Callie isn't sure why she is wasting her time interviewing for a teaching position at Fairwick college. The plan is for her to land a job teaching in New York City so she and her long time boyfriend Paul can finally be together. She has no desire to live in a podunk town like Fairwick. Yet, she is inexplicably drawn to the mysterious hundred year old Victorian mansion known as Honeysuckle House. Before Callie can blink, she is offered the position and she is purchasing the old house. The house seems to have a life all its own and Callie soon learns that there are some big secrets hidden in the town. Her new neighbors and colleagues aren't exactly normal, and neither is her house. Callie finds herself in a mysterious world inhabited by fairies, witches and more, but the worst part is she is losing her heart to an incubus. Can Callie save herself from her demon lover?
What I Liked:
*I was completely surprised by The Demon Lover. This book starts out with an eerie, creepy small town and it is full of suspense. There are plenty of moments when the characters are giving each other knowing looks, and you get the feeling that something just isn't quite right in Fairwick. To me, it had a bit of a Stephen King type feel, as the locals appear to be hiding some big and possibly sinister secret. Add in the incubus demon lover who resides at Honeysuckle House and you have a bit of an Anne Rice Witching Hour feel. The tension mounts, and then suddenly the book takes a completely different turn about midway. The town begins to reveal its secrets and the book has a entirely new feel. It becomes a bit more friendly as you learn that many of the citizens of Fairwick are actually paranormal. I like when a book takes me by surprise and I was very much impressed with this read.
*I am always a fan of all things paranormal, so I was pleased to find that Ms. Dark created a town completely bursting with all things supernatural. There are so many different types of creatures in this little town from fairies, witches, vampires, incubus and sucubi, brownies, nymphs and more. My personal favorite was the little mouse familiar named Ralph.
*I loved that this book always kept me guessing. You never had a clue as to what someone would reveal themselves to be. Even the seemingly normal, sports fanatic professor who comes off a bit annoying in the beginning has his own big secret. There were lots and lots of fun reveals in this one.
*I am always drawn to books with a cozy small town setting, and I was pleased to find that this book incorporated a wonderful tight knit community, I was certainly not expecting to find that the small town of Fairwick bursting with charm. It is a place where everyone knows everyone, and it has a long, long history, and many of the inhabitants have been around for hundreds of years. If you are a fan of books with lots of small town charm, pick this one up.
*This book has a big complex plot with many story lines. Some were more appealing to me than others, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the entire book. I especially appreciated the world building, detailed writing full of lovely descriptions and great characters. I am very happy to have discovered another great paranormal adult series.
And The Not So Much:
*Of course, the main focus of the book is on Callie and her demon lover. At first the whole scenario appealed to me, but then I found myself growing tired of the constant struggle with the incubus. There are lots of steamy scenes with the demon, but on a whole they didn't appeal to me. Luckily, there is plenty more to the book than just the demon lover aspect, so I was entertained.
*As I mentioned earlier, this book has many story lines knitting together. I always enjoy multiple plot lines, but in this case I felt like this book lacked a bit of focus as it took on too much. There are so many sub plots and secondary characters that is hard to keep everything straight. This is definitely a book that you want to stick with as if you put it down, you may be confused.
*I was frustrated that there was not more detail on Callie's history. Callie was orphaned at a young age and taken in by her grandmother. It isn't even revealed exactly how her parents died, and her grandmother remains a mystery. It appears that Callie does not have a close relationship with her grandmother. I felt like I was missing a bit of something when it comes to Callie.
The Demon Lover was a pleasant surprise for me. I found a book full of paranormal entities and a complex plot. I adored the small town setting and the imaginative characters. I was especially pleased with the gorgeous writing and the detail. I can happily say that I will be continuing with this series.
Favorite Quotations:
"You've got a lot to learn about women, pal. There's more to love than being good in the sack,"
"Is a lie really the worst thing if it's told out of love?"
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@ Rainy Day Ramblings. | 2 | positive | [
"The Demon Lover\nCallie isn't sure why she is wasting her time interviewing for a teaching position at Fairwick college.",
"The plan is for her to land a job teaching in New York City so she and her long time boyfriend Paul can finally be together.",
"She has no desire to live in a podunk town like Fairwick.",
"Yet, she is inexplicably drawn to the mysterious hundred year old Victorian mansion known as Honeysuckle House.",
"Before Callie can blink, she is offered the position and she is purchasing the old house.",
"The house seems to have a life all its own and Callie soon learns that there are some big secrets hidden in the town.",
"Her new neighbors and colleagues aren't exactly normal, and neither is her house.",
"Callie finds herself in a mysterious world inhabited by fairies, witches and more, but the worst part is she is losing her heart to an incubus.",
"Can Callie save herself from her demon lover?",
"What I Liked:\n*I was completely surprised by The Demon Lover.",
"This book starts out with an eerie, creepy small town and it is full of suspense.",
"There are plenty of moments when the characters are giving each other knowing looks, and you get the feeling that something just isn't quite right in Fairwick.",
"To me, it had a bit of a Stephen King type feel, as the locals appear to be hiding some big and possibly sinister secret.",
"Add in the incubus demon lover who resides at Honeysuckle House and you have a bit of an Anne Rice Witching Hour feel.",
"The tension mounts, and then suddenly the book takes a completely different turn about midway.",
"The town begins to reveal its secrets and the book has a entirely new feel.",
"It becomes a bit more friendly as you learn that many of the citizens of Fairwick are actually paranormal.",
"I like when a book takes me by surprise and I was very much impressed with this read.",
"*I am always a fan of all things paranormal, so I was pleased to find that Ms.",
"Dark created a town completely bursting with all things supernatural.",
"There are so many different types of creatures in this little town from fairies, witches, vampires, incubus and sucubi, brownies, nymphs and more.",
"My personal favorite was the little mouse familiar named Ralph.",
"*I loved that this book always kept me guessing.",
"You never had a clue as to what someone would reveal themselves to be.",
"Even the seemingly normal, sports fanatic professor who comes off a bit annoying in the beginning has his own big secret.",
"There were lots and lots of fun reveals in this one.",
"*I am always drawn to books with a cozy small town setting, and I was pleased to find that this book incorporated a wonderful tight knit community, I was certainly not expecting to find that the small town of Fairwick bursting with charm.",
"It is a place where everyone knows everyone, and it has a long, long history, and many of the inhabitants have been around for hundreds of years.",
"If you are a fan of books with lots of small town charm, pick this one up.",
"*This book has a big complex plot with many story lines.",
"Some were more appealing to me than others, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the entire book.",
"I especially appreciated the world building, detailed writing full of lovely descriptions and great characters.",
"I am very happy to have discovered another great paranormal adult series.",
"And The Not So Much:\n*Of course, the main focus of the book is on Callie and her demon lover.",
"At first the whole scenario appealed to me, but then I found myself growing tired of the constant struggle with the incubus.",
"There are lots of steamy scenes with the demon, but on a whole they didn't appeal to me.",
"Luckily, there is plenty more to the book than just the demon lover aspect, so I was entertained.",
"*As I mentioned earlier, this book has many story lines knitting together.",
"I always enjoy multiple plot lines, but in this case I felt like this book lacked a bit of focus as it took on too much.",
"There are so many sub plots and secondary characters that is hard to keep everything straight.",
"This is definitely a book that you want to stick with as if you put it down, you may be confused.",
"*I was frustrated that there was not more detail on Callie's history.",
"Callie was orphaned at a young age and taken in by her grandmother.",
"It isn't even revealed exactly how her parents died, and her grandmother remains a mystery.",
"It appears that Callie does not have a close relationship with her grandmother.",
"I felt like I was missing a bit of something when it comes to Callie.",
"The Demon Lover was a pleasant surprise for me.",
"I found a book full of paranormal entities and a complex plot.",
"I adored the small town setting and the imaginative characters.",
"I was especially pleased with the gorgeous writing and the detail.",
"I can happily say that I will be continuing with this series.",
"Favorite Quotations:\n\"You've got a lot to learn about women, pal.",
"There's more to love than being good in the sack,\"\n\"Is a lie really the worst thing if it's told out of love?",
"\"\n\nI received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.",
"All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.",
"Posted@ Rainy Day Ramblings."
] |
there is a very good reason so many people have given this CD such rave reviews. It has got to be Rainbow's masterpiece. Ritchie Blackmore and company have put the pedal to the metal here and the results are fantastic! This is a must-have disc for any metal collection. Ritchie is firing on all cylinders and Ronnie James Dio, one of rock's finest vocalists, sings his heart out, especially on Stargazer, a super track. And it is always a pleasure to hear the drumming of the great and gone-too-soon drummer, Cozy Powell. Rainbow went on to record some good tunes after this album but for me and many others this is their masterpiece. Crank up your hi-fi on Stargazer and let the drums of Cozy Powell lead you into some serious headbangin'!
[...] | 2 | positive | [
"there is a very good reason so many people have given this CD such rave reviews.",
"It has got to be Rainbow's masterpiece.",
"Ritchie Blackmore and company have put the pedal to the metal here and the results are fantastic!",
"This is a must-have disc for any metal collection.",
"Ritchie is firing on all cylinders and Ronnie James Dio, one of rock's finest vocalists, sings his heart out, especially on Stargazer, a super track.",
"And it is always a pleasure to hear the drumming of the great and gone-too-soon drummer, Cozy Powell.",
"Rainbow went on to record some good tunes after this album but for me and many others this is their masterpiece.",
"Crank up your hi-fi on Stargazer and let the drums of Cozy Powell lead you into some serious headbangin'!",
"[...",
"]"
] |
With the PS2's life cycle coming to an end, there are hardly any new games that are anything remotely spectacular. Capcom's Okami however, is just that, and it's not just one of the best games to ever grace the PS2, it's one of the most original games you'll ever play. The first thing you'll notice about Okami is the game's incredibly unique art style and graphics, which are some of the best to ever grace the PS2. Seriously, this game looks incredible, you won't believe your eyes. Okami's storyline is based on Japanese legend dealing with the sun god Amaterasu, who you play as in the form of a white wolf, and the epic quest that awaits him. Now, what truly sets Okami apart from the rest of the pack is the caligraphy-esque celestial brush that you must use to advance throughout the game. Need a bridge? Draw it. Need to dispatch a pesky enemy? Draw him in half. This brush adds a new dynamic to the gameplay which is fresh and unique, and makes you wonder why no one has ever tried anything like it before in a game of this type. There's loads of side quests and mini-games as well, adding to the length of Okami which truly make it an epic game, and all of which help make this one of the best games ever on the PS2. If there's anything bad to say about Okami, it's that the combat can get too easy at spots, but that is only an extremely minor gripe. All in all, Okami is just the thing that PS2 owners have been waiting and yearning for. An original, epic adventure that doesn't get stale and provides some of the most unique and mouth watering graphics you'll ever see. If you own a PS2, Okami is an absolute must own, and it's one of the best games you'll ever play. | 2 | positive | [
"With the PS2's life cycle coming to an end, there are hardly any new games that are anything remotely spectacular.",
"Capcom's Okami however, is just that, and it's not just one of the best games to ever grace the PS2, it's one of the most original games you'll ever play.",
"The first thing you'll notice about Okami is the game's incredibly unique art style and graphics, which are some of the best to ever grace the PS2.",
"Seriously, this game looks incredible, you won't believe your eyes.",
"Okami's storyline is based on Japanese legend dealing with the sun god Amaterasu, who you play as in the form of a white wolf, and the epic quest that awaits him.",
"Now, what truly sets Okami apart from the rest of the pack is the caligraphy-esque celestial brush that you must use to advance throughout the game.",
"Need a bridge?",
"Draw it.",
"Need to dispatch a pesky enemy?",
"Draw him in half.",
"This brush adds a new dynamic to the gameplay which is fresh and unique, and makes you wonder why no one has ever tried anything like it before in a game of this type.",
"There's loads of side quests and mini-games as well, adding to the length of Okami which truly make it an epic game, and all of which help make this one of the best games ever on the PS2.",
"If there's anything bad to say about Okami, it's that the combat can get too easy at spots, but that is only an extremely minor gripe.",
"All in all, Okami is just the thing that PS2 owners have been waiting and yearning for.",
"An original, epic adventure that doesn't get stale and provides some of the most unique and mouth watering graphics you'll ever see.",
"If you own a PS2, Okami is an absolute must own, and it's one of the best games you'll ever play."
] |
HB "Purple":
The color is more pink/magenta than purple. For purple I expected something similar to "Gizmo Dorks 1.75mm PLA Filament 1kg / 2.2lb for 3D Printers, Dark Purple" which is Purple. May be a matter of perspective but this defiantly looks pink or magenta.
Measurement is spot-on to 1.75mm and is within tolerances for other random measurements. Temps work wonderfully at PLA optimal temps (190) and flows evenly with no bubbles. It's packaged very well and wrapped on spool evenly so far.
*Used with FlashForge Creator on glass + HS, HB 70C. | 2 | positive | [
"HB \"Purple\":\nThe color is more pink/magenta than purple.",
"For purple I expected something similar to \"Gizmo Dorks 1.",
"75mm PLA Filament 1kg / 2.",
"2lb for 3D Printers, Dark Purple\" which is Purple.",
"May be a matter of perspective but this defiantly looks pink or magenta.",
"Measurement is spot-on to 1.",
"75mm and is within tolerances for other random measurements.",
"Temps work wonderfully at PLA optimal temps (190) and flows evenly with no bubbles.",
"It's packaged very well and wrapped on spool evenly so far.",
"*Used with FlashForge Creator on glass + HS, HB 70C."
] |
This CD was brutal on its release and has gotten better with age, especially the re-master. I remember buying this on vinyl as a teenager and being completely decimated by it. Made Metallica look weak, and we are talking '85 Metallica. Raw, Brutal and just progressive enough in its delivery.
Blistering pace for the most part (Hell Awaits, Praise Of Death, Kill Again, Hardening of the Arteries), but balances nicely with other dark, mid-paced tracks (At Dawn They Sleep, Crypts of Eternity). There are timing changes that allow the songs to expand. Something Slayer has kind of lost touch with over the years. The lyrics are dark as hell. Very satanic, shocking and graphic for its time.
Tom Araya was at his most intense vocally on this and the incredible 'Haunting the Chapel' EP. Just words flying as he almost shouts at the listener. Not the screaming, overbearing style he does for the most part now. I still buy Slayer discs and like Araya's style, but sometimes the vocals can overbear. But not on here. Its almost more of a HC punk-ish delivery at times.
The guitars are clear as day. You can hear each painful note. The solo exchanges between King/Hanneman are brutal. Blazing from speaker to speaker. Dave Lombardo really tore it up on here though. His drumming was completely innovative for its time and carries the music perfectly. Fills when necessary but not overdoing it. He drives the band throughout.
A+ for execution on all fronts. They had the hunger and you can feel it.
Slayer would create their masterpiece (by a very short margin) in 'Reign in Blood' next, but this album is a different creature. The songs were longer (6-7 min. Avg) and the production wasn't as slick. But that does not take away from the sound, it actually makes it feel a lot darker. It's 7 tracks of intensity. That's about all I can say. If you don't have it you are missing an essential release.
Slayer has made many good discs since, but this CD and 'Reign In Blood' brought them completely over the top with their audience at the time. There is a real reason for that. They were both incredible albums for the '85-'86 era that they have yet to top. Metal Classics.
Not to mention one of the best Cover Art's ever. | 2 | positive | [
"This CD was brutal on its release and has gotten better with age, especially the re-master.",
"I remember buying this on vinyl as a teenager and being completely decimated by it.",
"Made Metallica look weak, and we are talking '85 Metallica.",
"Raw, Brutal and just progressive enough in its delivery.",
"Blistering pace for the most part (Hell Awaits, Praise Of Death, Kill Again, Hardening of the Arteries), but balances nicely with other dark, mid-paced tracks (At Dawn They Sleep, Crypts of Eternity).",
"There are timing changes that allow the songs to expand.",
"Something Slayer has kind of lost touch with over the years.",
"The lyrics are dark as hell.",
"Very satanic, shocking and graphic for its time.",
"Tom Araya was at his most intense vocally on this and the incredible 'Haunting the Chapel' EP.",
"Just words flying as he almost shouts at the listener.",
"Not the screaming, overbearing style he does for the most part now.",
"I still buy Slayer discs and like Araya's style, but sometimes the vocals can overbear.",
"But not on here.",
"Its almost more of a HC punk-ish delivery at times.",
"The guitars are clear as day.",
"You can hear each painful note.",
"The solo exchanges between King/Hanneman are brutal.",
"Blazing from speaker to speaker.",
"Dave Lombardo really tore it up on here though.",
"His drumming was completely innovative for its time and carries the music perfectly.",
"Fills when necessary but not overdoing it.",
"He drives the band throughout.",
"A+ for execution on all fronts.",
"They had the hunger and you can feel it.",
"Slayer would create their masterpiece (by a very short margin) in 'Reign in Blood' next, but this album is a different creature.",
"The songs were longer (6-7 min.",
"Avg) and the production wasn't as slick.",
"But that does not take away from the sound, it actually makes it feel a lot darker.",
"It's 7 tracks of intensity.",
"That's about all I can say.",
"If you don't have it you are missing an essential release.",
"Slayer has made many good discs since, but this CD and 'Reign In Blood' brought them completely over the top with their audience at the time.",
"There is a real reason for that.",
"They were both incredible albums for the '85-'86 era that they have yet to top.",
"Metal Classics.",
"Not to mention one of the best Cover Art's ever."
] |
Before Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G. or Snoop Dogg, the original story teller was none other than MC Ricky D (as he was known back in the days), a.k.a. Slick Rick. Every rapper has at some point adopted the technique and style Slick Rick originally made up to make some of their songs up. Slick Rick, along with rappers such as Chuck-D, KRS-One and Rakim, was so influential, he even influenced rappers on the west-coast.
After he and Doug E. Fresh made unstoppable history together with cuts such as The Show and La Di Da Di (the original of Snoop Dogg's Lodi Dodi), Ricky D decided to go solo and make an even bigger name for himself. Dropping his previous alias and adopting a new one, he was now known as Slick Rick and took hip-hop on another classic journey with his Great Adventures of Slick Rick, an album that can be easily be made into a ghetto's children book. With this album, he covered every color of the spectrum.
Unbelievable Mona Lisa, a deadly but a story using parody and humor for the children Children's Story, the fancied imaginative Hey Young World all have supported the test of time. With an incredible British accent (being that he lived in the U.K. for most of his childhood life), Rick went from rude and humerous (Lick the Balls) to soft and touching (Teenage Love) in the blink of an eye. | 2 | positive | [
"Before Jay-Z, The Notorious B.",
"I.G. or Snoop Dogg, the original story teller was none other than MC Ricky D (as he was known back in the days), a.",
"k.a. Slick Rick.",
"Every rapper has at some point adopted the technique and style Slick Rick originally made up to make some of their songs up.",
"Slick Rick, along with rappers such as Chuck-D, KRS-One and Rakim, was so influential, he even influenced rappers on the west-coast.",
"After he and Doug E.",
"Fresh made unstoppable history together with cuts such as The Show and La Di Da Di (the original of Snoop Dogg's Lodi Dodi), Ricky D decided to go solo and make an even bigger name for himself.",
"Dropping his previous alias and adopting a new one, he was now known as Slick Rick and took hip-hop on another classic journey with his Great Adventures of Slick Rick, an album that can be easily be made into a ghetto's children book.",
"With this album, he covered every color of the spectrum.",
"Unbelievable Mona Lisa, a deadly but a story using parody and humor for the children Children's Story, the fancied imaginative Hey Young World all have supported the test of time.",
"With an incredible British accent (being that he lived in the U.",
"K. for most of his childhood life), Rick went from rude and humerous (Lick the Balls) to soft and touching (Teenage Love) in the blink of an eye."
] |
This was a gift for my 10-year old stepson. It looks a little different than the one in the picture but it's still stylish and works great!
The globe itself if 8" in diameter and has a central electrode inside that emits the lighted "plasma" arcs.
As far as being an educational toy, it's fantastic because it gives a pretty hands-on display of the 4th state of matter, which is plasma. You can't get a better display of plasma than this, other than looking at a neon sign or telescope pictures of neublas or solar flares.
It works by charging special inert gases and noble gases (neon, xenon or krypton) in a vacuum inside the sphere with high frequency (30,000+ hertz, household AC current is 60 hertz), high voltage (2,000+volts) DC electrical current from a transformer in the base. The electric charge comes out of the electrode and excites the gases' electrons and causes them to illuminate as plasma filaments eminating from the center electrode. The filments reach out from the source to touch the glass sphere, which acts like an insulator to block the current from coming out.
When you touch it with your hand (the body is conductive and has good resistance) the high frequency electromagnetic field (flourescent tubes also have this) around the sphere is altered and a single filament of plasma forms from the inner electrode and flows to the contact point.
Now, these are fascinating things, but the physics that makes them work also makes them a little dangerous. The high frequency electromagnetic field surrounding the sphere can cause problems with other electronic devices. It can cause electromagnetic interference, put stress on delicate electronic components, or even damage circuits. The high frequency current can also interfere with cell phones, computers, touch screens, WiFi devices, wireless routers, even other toys that use radio frequency or electromagnetic fields to work.
The globe is also charged with high voltage static electricity which can arc or discharge from your hand if you touch a metal object or electronic device. I had this happen. I had my hand on the globe and brushed my arm up against a desk light and got a pretty good shock! If you touched it just right, and touched something metal that was grounded (like the lamp), you can cause electricity to arc from your fingertip! I did this for fun and it was really cool. The downside is that the arcing spark actually burned the tip of my finger. It also burned my skin when I brushed the lamp with my arm. The globe also makes some of my son's electronic toys go bezerk when you put them up to it!
Another hazard comes from the ionization of the air surrounding the sphere from the high frequency current. Ozone gas can form on the outside of the sphere and build up. Ozone is toxic to humans, and if allowed to accumulate can reach toxic levels quickly. Use the unit in large, well-ventilated areas to minimize this effect.
For durability, the duty cycle is good. Used intermittantly it would last for years and years, but the glass sphere is thin and fragile. I had one break on me before, and even a slight bump could cause it to break and release tons of sharp glass shards.
Overall, this is a fascinating demonstration of plasma, ionization, and electrical current, but it's definitely not a toy in my book so be careful with it. | 2 | positive | [
"This was a gift for my 10-year old stepson.",
"It looks a little different than the one in the picture but it's still stylish and works great!",
"The globe itself if 8\" in diameter and has a central electrode inside that emits the lighted \"plasma\" arcs.",
"As far as being an educational toy, it's fantastic because it gives a pretty hands-on display of the 4th state of matter, which is plasma.",
"You can't get a better display of plasma than this, other than looking at a neon sign or telescope pictures of neublas or solar flares.",
"It works by charging special inert gases and noble gases (neon, xenon or krypton) in a vacuum inside the sphere with high frequency (30,000+ hertz, household AC current is 60 hertz), high voltage (2,000+volts) DC electrical current from a transformer in the base.",
"The electric charge comes out of the electrode and excites the gases' electrons and causes them to illuminate as plasma filaments eminating from the center electrode.",
"The filments reach out from the source to touch the glass sphere, which acts like an insulator to block the current from coming out.",
"When you touch it with your hand (the body is conductive and has good resistance) the high frequency electromagnetic field (flourescent tubes also have this) around the sphere is altered and a single filament of plasma forms from the inner electrode and flows to the contact point.",
"Now, these are fascinating things, but the physics that makes them work also makes them a little dangerous.",
"The high frequency electromagnetic field surrounding the sphere can cause problems with other electronic devices.",
"It can cause electromagnetic interference, put stress on delicate electronic components, or even damage circuits.",
"The high frequency current can also interfere with cell phones, computers, touch screens, WiFi devices, wireless routers, even other toys that use radio frequency or electromagnetic fields to work.",
"The globe is also charged with high voltage static electricity which can arc or discharge from your hand if you touch a metal object or electronic device.",
"I had this happen.",
"I had my hand on the globe and brushed my arm up against a desk light and got a pretty good shock!",
"If you touched it just right, and touched something metal that was grounded (like the lamp), you can cause electricity to arc from your fingertip!",
"I did this for fun and it was really cool.",
"The downside is that the arcing spark actually burned the tip of my finger.",
"It also burned my skin when I brushed the lamp with my arm.",
"The globe also makes some of my son's electronic toys go bezerk when you put them up to it!",
"Another hazard comes from the ionization of the air surrounding the sphere from the high frequency current.",
"Ozone gas can form on the outside of the sphere and build up.",
"Ozone is toxic to humans, and if allowed to accumulate can reach toxic levels quickly.",
"Use the unit in large, well-ventilated areas to minimize this effect.",
"For durability, the duty cycle is good.",
"Used intermittantly it would last for years and years, but the glass sphere is thin and fragile.",
"I had one break on me before, and even a slight bump could cause it to break and release tons of sharp glass shards.",
"Overall, this is a fascinating demonstration of plasma, ionization, and electrical current, but it's definitely not a toy in my book so be careful with it."
] |
Good for Halloween and Christmas. Can’t wait to set it up for Halloween. It comes with different projection pic for Christmas and Halloween. Easy install. It has timer settings. You can use it either indoor or outdoor. It plays music too. The only thing I don’t like is when you turn it on, it plays Christmas song on a Halloween projection and there is no music downloaded for Halloween. The projection should have been scattered instead of showing one at a time. Not bad for Halloween though. | 2 | positive | [
"Good for Halloween and Christmas.",
"Can’t wait to set it up for Halloween.",
"It comes with different projection pic for Christmas and Halloween.",
"Easy install.",
"It has timer settings.",
"You can use it either indoor or outdoor.",
"It plays music too.",
"The only thing I don’t like is when you turn it on, it plays Christmas song on a Halloween projection and there is no music downloaded for Halloween.",
"The projection should have been scattered instead of showing one at a time.",
"Not bad for Halloween though."
] |
I love these things. I'm a small person with MS (5', 105lbs), and I'm always cold. My hands and feet turn white from it. These little beauties are perfect for that. They're individually wrapped, so you can use only one if you want to. I personally tuck one in my front pocket of my jeans or my waistband. That way, it warms your blood as it passes through that vein or artery right there. Every part of me is warm after that. They heat up after opening in about 5-10 minutes, and stay hot for many hours. I've never had a problem with them. Which is why I'm reordering more. I compared prices with Walmart, and these are within a dollar. Well worth the investment. Every time I pull one out, there's usually someone next to me that wants one as well. I share! | 2 | positive | [
"I love these things.",
"I'm a small person with MS (5', 105lbs), and I'm always cold.",
"My hands and feet turn white from it.",
"These little beauties are perfect for that.",
"They're individually wrapped, so you can use only one if you want to.",
"I personally tuck one in my front pocket of my jeans or my waistband.",
"That way, it warms your blood as it passes through that vein or artery right there.",
"Every part of me is warm after that.",
"They heat up after opening in about 5-10 minutes, and stay hot for many hours.",
"I've never had a problem with them.",
"Which is why I'm reordering more.",
"I compared prices with Walmart, and these are within a dollar.",
"Well worth the investment.",
"Every time I pull one out, there's usually someone next to me that wants one as well.",
"I share!"
] |
My daughter received this for her 2nd birthday. It was easy to put together and is very sturdy. She loves playing "sing songs"on her piano.
I was afraid to put it in her play room, because I didn't want it to get scratched or damaged, but it is made very well. She has turned the stool over a lot and it still has no scratches. She sometimes plays little people on it and no scratches. I am very impressed with the quality.
The only negative, in my view, is that it gets smudged easy. Most people won't care about that. The smudges just wipe off.
This was one of the best birthday gifts to date and I'm excited to watch her grow with this piano and start learning some simple musical ideas with it. | 2 | positive | [
"My daughter received this for her 2nd birthday.",
"It was easy to put together and is very sturdy.",
"She loves playing \"sing songs\"on her piano.",
"I was afraid to put it in her play room, because I didn't want it to get scratched or damaged, but it is made very well.",
"She has turned the stool over a lot and it still has no scratches.",
"She sometimes plays little people on it and no scratches.",
"I am very impressed with the quality.",
"The only negative, in my view, is that it gets smudged easy.",
"Most people won't care about that.",
"The smudges just wipe off.",
"This was one of the best birthday gifts to date and I'm excited to watch her grow with this piano and start learning some simple musical ideas with it."
] |
I thought VideoStudio Pro X4 was a pretty powerful video editor for the amateur video editor. It included features like playback speed adjustments, time lapse capabilities, stop motion animation, special effects, Mercalli video stabilization, conversion from 2D to 3D, music tracks, burning DVD & Blu-ray discs, easy exporting to Youtube, exporting to tablets and cell phone file formats, etc.
If you have used other video editors you may be able to jump right in without reading the manual, but in some cases I found that VideoStudio is not the most user friendly software. There is a 15 page Getting Started Guide as well as a 175 page User Guide included. There are 15 short tutorial videos included. I would note that if you do not like rap music you won't like watching the help videos because they all have rap music played in the background for the entire length of the video. And I found the User Guide to be difficult at times too. The index is not very good. And as an example, I was wanting to work with titles. The index indicates shows that there is info on the title track on page 24--which just says that there is a title track. I found that there is a titles section on page 73, but that is not in the index. I skipped over to page 78 and read the information on applying title effects. It states that to apply title filters "click Filter and choose Title Effects in the Gallery drop-down menu." However I didn't couldn't find how to click "Filter". There was nothing on my screen or in the menus that had the word Filter. I had clicked on the "T" (Titles) and saw all the title choices in the top right corner, and I clicked on "Option" in the corner and saw more choices, but there not a Filter option visible. I had to go find a Youtube video that showed that you have to click on the Attribute tab in the Options in order to see the Filter option. If you want to learn how to go beyond the basics you may have to go watch a number of Youtube videos to see if you can find what you're looking for.
Another problem I had was that when I first got Video Studio Pro X4 I was using an Intel 2.6 ghz dual core CPU (which was faster than the "recommended system requirements"). One of the things I wanted to do was to make some splits in an mp4 video so that I could cut certain parts out. But as I was playing the video, the video and sound would sometimes breakup, making it impossible to find the exact point to make the split. I was also unable to view the help videos, even though I had the latest version of Flash. Later I upgraded to an AMD quad-core 3.3 ghz CPU and have not had those problems again. I later found out (by watching one of the tutorial files that would not play earlier) that if you have a slower computer you can go to Settings and choose SmartProxy (which is not in the User Manual index).
In summary, there are a lot of powerful features and if you have used other video editors you may be able to jump right in. If you're new to video editing you may find the learning curve a bit steep. | 2 | positive | [
"I thought VideoStudio Pro X4 was a pretty powerful video editor for the amateur video editor.",
"It included features like playback speed adjustments, time lapse capabilities, stop motion animation, special effects, Mercalli video stabilization, conversion from 2D to 3D, music tracks, burning DVD & Blu-ray discs, easy exporting to Youtube, exporting to tablets and cell phone file formats, etc.",
"If you have used other video editors you may be able to jump right in without reading the manual, but in some cases I found that VideoStudio is not the most user friendly software.",
"There is a 15 page Getting Started Guide as well as a 175 page User Guide included.",
"There are 15 short tutorial videos included.",
"I would note that if you do not like rap music you won't like watching the help videos because they all have rap music played in the background for the entire length of the video.",
"And I found the User Guide to be difficult at times too.",
"The index is not very good.",
"And as an example, I was wanting to work with titles.",
"The index indicates shows that there is info on the title track on page 24--which just says that there is a title track.",
"I found that there is a titles section on page 73, but that is not in the index.",
"I skipped over to page 78 and read the information on applying title effects.",
"It states that to apply title filters \"click Filter and choose Title Effects in the Gallery drop-down menu.",
"\" However I didn't couldn't find how to click \"Filter\".",
"There was nothing on my screen or in the menus that had the word Filter.",
"I had clicked on the \"T\" (Titles) and saw all the title choices in the top right corner, and I clicked on \"Option\" in the corner and saw more choices, but there not a Filter option visible.",
"I had to go find a Youtube video that showed that you have to click on the Attribute tab in the Options in order to see the Filter option.",
"If you want to learn how to go beyond the basics you may have to go watch a number of Youtube videos to see if you can find what you're looking for.",
"Another problem I had was that when I first got Video Studio Pro X4 I was using an Intel 2.",
"6 ghz dual core CPU (which was faster than the \"recommended system requirements\").",
"One of the things I wanted to do was to make some splits in an mp4 video so that I could cut certain parts out.",
"But as I was playing the video, the video and sound would sometimes breakup, making it impossible to find the exact point to make the split.",
"I was also unable to view the help videos, even though I had the latest version of Flash.",
"Later I upgraded to an AMD quad-core 3.",
"3 ghz CPU and have not had those problems again.",
"I later found out (by watching one of the tutorial files that would not play earlier) that if you have a slower computer you can go to Settings and choose SmartProxy (which is not in the User Manual index).",
"In summary, there are a lot of powerful features and if you have used other video editors you may be able to jump right in.",
"If you're new to video editing you may find the learning curve a bit steep."
] |
these are great, looking forward to ordering more for the office. easy to cut and look GREAT- the adhesive is really great too. VERY happy with this purchase and the wire management they provide.
Cons. It's not really the products fault.. but keep in mind that it's small (in order to look slim and good) - you can fit 4 chords in there (smaller ones) maybe 5 if you really squeeze it..
pros. what was mentioned above - awesome durable quality.. looks GREAT installed.. and easy to work with.
buying more for sure! | 2 | positive | [
"these are great, looking forward to ordering more for the office.",
"easy to cut and look GREAT- the adhesive is really great too.",
"VERY happy with this purchase and the wire management they provide.",
"Cons.",
"It's not really the products fault..",
"but keep in mind that it's small (in order to look slim and good) - you can fit 4 chords in there (smaller ones) maybe 5 if you really squeeze it..",
"pros.",
"what was mentioned above - awesome durable quality..",
"looks GREAT installed..",
"and easy to work with.",
"buying more for sure!"
] |
I have been looking for a substitute for King Arthur's Instant Clear Jel and I'm so glad I found this version by Barry Farms. There's a very decent amount here (much more than KA's) and I like that the sugar and citric acid have been left out, this is just plain ol' clear jel. This product is fantastic for making pies, works so much better than ordinary cornstarch or flour. Simply mix - I like to toss with your fresh fruit and other ingredients and add to your pie crust. This gives a lovely "jam-like" consistency to pie fillings and will firm up the juice if you're using berries or wet fruit so you avoid a soggy crust. There are no instructions but you can find recipes on KA's website for a general idea of how much it takes when you bake a pie. For example, I used 1/4 cup in the last 10 inch apple pie I made, 2-3 TBSP would be appropriate for smaller (or flatter) pies. You may need to experiment a bit with your baking, I like that this Clear Jel doesn't clump or harden like regular cornstarch if you use a bit too much, it mixes very well. It also works very well with low pectin fruit. The price is very reasonable too! Highly recommended! | 2 | positive | [
"I have been looking for a substitute for King Arthur's Instant Clear Jel and I'm so glad I found this version by Barry Farms.",
"There's a very decent amount here (much more than KA's) and I like that the sugar and citric acid have been left out, this is just plain ol' clear jel.",
"This product is fantastic for making pies, works so much better than ordinary cornstarch or flour.",
"Simply mix - I like to toss with your fresh fruit and other ingredients and add to your pie crust.",
"This gives a lovely \"jam-like\" consistency to pie fillings and will firm up the juice if you're using berries or wet fruit so you avoid a soggy crust.",
"There are no instructions but you can find recipes on KA's website for a general idea of how much it takes when you bake a pie.",
"For example, I used 1/4 cup in the last 10 inch apple pie I made, 2-3 TBSP would be appropriate for smaller (or flatter) pies.",
"You may need to experiment a bit with your baking, I like that this Clear Jel doesn't clump or harden like regular cornstarch if you use a bit too much, it mixes very well.",
"It also works very well with low pectin fruit.",
"The price is very reasonable too!",
"Highly recommended!"
] |
If you are looking into this product I will assume you have played Carcassonne before.
The game is faster and shorter, this is great for a two player round. There are some modifications to the normal rules but it is really simple to grasp. Two main additions: 1) you build within the "walls of the castle" there fore you area is limited but it makes it a lot more stream lined. 2) there are some bonuses tokens for the first player to reach an specific amount of points (which is good since the scoring varies a little from the main game). Regarding scoring: here you do not score for uncompleted things! Works good so do not get scared.
For new comers; this is Carcassonne at is finniest and made for a 1v1... so if you want the game just for that you can not go wrong with this one. It is simple, fast, fun and any one can play it! | 2 | positive | [
"If you are looking into this product I will assume you have played Carcassonne before.",
"The game is faster and shorter, this is great for a two player round.",
"There are some modifications to the normal rules but it is really simple to grasp.",
"Two main additions: 1) you build within the \"walls of the castle\" there fore you area is limited but it makes it a lot more stream lined.",
"2) there are some bonuses tokens for the first player to reach an specific amount of points (which is good since the scoring varies a little from the main game).",
"Regarding scoring: here you do not score for uncompleted things!",
"Works good so do not get scared.",
"For new comers; this is Carcassonne at is finniest and made for a 1v1...",
"so if you want the game just for that you can not go wrong with this one.",
"It is simple, fast, fun and any one can play it!"
] |
Got a Harbor Freight Ball Joint press I bought for $89.00. Was doing ball joints on 2001 Jeep XJ. Got one upper joint off, tried to get lower off, it just kept turning, and turning. Loosened it up. The C was bent so bad, jack screw wouldn't go through bottom hole anymore. Ordered The OTC 7249, Got the other side done in about 30-45 min. Worked great!!!!!! This was less than $20.00 more so why is it sooo much better!!!!!!!! You can see the quality difference in the two side by side. | 2 | positive | [
"Got a Harbor Freight Ball Joint press I bought for $89.",
"00.",
"Was doing ball joints on 2001 Jeep XJ.",
"Got one upper joint off, tried to get lower off, it just kept turning, and turning.",
"Loosened it up.",
"The C was bent so bad, jack screw wouldn't go through bottom hole anymore.",
"Ordered The OTC 7249, Got the other side done in about 30-45 min.",
"Worked great!!!!",
"!!",
"This was less than $20.",
"00 more so why is it sooo much better!!!!",
"!!!!",
"You can see the quality difference in the two side by side."
] |
Fantastic game for a smart Pre-K child and up. Super cool as the maze moves on every turn. Mazes and treasure; a sure hit with boys, so this is a favorite in our home. Our boys are 4 years apart, but this game works well for them to play. In other words, less conflict than the average game. Sometimes my son gets it out just to mess around with the maze.
I have noticed that some of our kid's friends have trouble with the game. They can't understand how to think ahead to the changing maze. So I recommend for kids who are "puzzlers." If your child is a "puzzler" he/she can handle before the age of 8.
The rules are clear and excellent, even include fast play rules which work very well for young players. | 2 | positive | [
"Fantastic game for a smart Pre-K child and up.",
"Super cool as the maze moves on every turn.",
"Mazes and treasure; a sure hit with boys, so this is a favorite in our home.",
"Our boys are 4 years apart, but this game works well for them to play.",
"In other words, less conflict than the average game.",
"Sometimes my son gets it out just to mess around with the maze.",
"I have noticed that some of our kid's friends have trouble with the game.",
"They can't understand how to think ahead to the changing maze.",
"So I recommend for kids who are \"puzzlers.",
"\" If your child is a \"puzzler\" he/she can handle before the age of 8.",
"The rules are clear and excellent, even include fast play rules which work very well for young players."
] |
As per the title, I've used this planer for about 8 months, all on hard woods. I've had to reverse the blades once. I haven't had any problems stated by the negative reviews - the blades seems to wear well, no nicks. It is fairly loud, but good ear protection pretty much solves that. I like the 2-speeds so I can get a more finished final pass, but I don't really use that setting too much since I don't rely on a planer to give me a final surface, and a quick sanding is all it takes even with the slower speed. With the input/output trays there is no problem leading wood into the planer
I was having problems with static electric buildup when the planer was hooked up to my dust collector, but that went away when I got a new dust collector. Strangely, it was only the planer that had that problem.
The unit is made in Taiwan. Made in the USA would have been better, but at least it isn't China (as my old dusk collector was ....). | 2 | positive | [
"As per the title, I've used this planer for about 8 months, all on hard woods.",
"I've had to reverse the blades once.",
"I haven't had any problems stated by the negative reviews - the blades seems to wear well, no nicks.",
"It is fairly loud, but good ear protection pretty much solves that.",
"I like the 2-speeds so I can get a more finished final pass, but I don't really use that setting too much since I don't rely on a planer to give me a final surface, and a quick sanding is all it takes even with the slower speed.",
"With the input/output trays there is no problem leading wood into the planer\n\nI was having problems with static electric buildup when the planer was hooked up to my dust collector, but that went away when I got a new dust collector.",
"Strangely, it was only the planer that had that problem.",
"The unit is made in Taiwan.",
"Made in the USA would have been better, but at least it isn't China (as my old dusk collector was....",
")."
] |
I have been using Tinkyada pasta exclusively for a few years. I have used this pasta in dishes I made to share at work, at parties, and at family functions. No one knows the difference until they see me eating it (then they know it has to be GF).
It isn't just the taste, but the texture that will fool anyone. Tinkyada pastas hold their texture very well. In my experience, they are as hard to cook to a mush as durham wheat pasta, and maintain their quality through refrigeration and reheating. Every other brand of rice pasta, quinoa pasta, and corn pasta I have tried have a horrible mushy texture and over-cook way too easy.
Makes great cooked pasta dishes and cold pasta salads, too.
I have never had any problem with the quality of this product, whether buying it at a store or online. I have never had any problems with shipping, and never a need to contact customer service. | 2 | positive | [
"I have been using Tinkyada pasta exclusively for a few years.",
"I have used this pasta in dishes I made to share at work, at parties, and at family functions.",
"No one knows the difference until they see me eating it (then they know it has to be GF).",
"It isn't just the taste, but the texture that will fool anyone.",
"Tinkyada pastas hold their texture very well.",
"In my experience, they are as hard to cook to a mush as durham wheat pasta, and maintain their quality through refrigeration and reheating.",
"Every other brand of rice pasta, quinoa pasta, and corn pasta I have tried have a horrible mushy texture and over-cook way too easy.",
"Makes great cooked pasta dishes and cold pasta salads, too.",
"I have never had any problem with the quality of this product, whether buying it at a store or online.",
"I have never had any problems with shipping, and never a need to contact customer service."
] |
Love this guitar. What a bargain! Sounds great and plays very easy. There is talk about the heavy headstock. I found this to be true. I discovered a very easy fix. Connect the upper strap knob to the second screw hole of the neck. This allows for a better balance when playing standing up. Now it's totally manageable. Hope I was clear. At this price, this is a great electric 12-string. I don't know how they did it, but they did. | 2 | positive | [
"Love this guitar.",
"What a bargain!",
"Sounds great and plays very easy.",
"There is talk about the heavy headstock.",
"I found this to be true.",
"I discovered a very easy fix.",
"Connect the upper strap knob to the second screw hole of the neck.",
"This allows for a better balance when playing standing up.",
"Now it's totally manageable.",
"Hope I was clear.",
"At this price, this is a great electric 12-string.",
"I don't know how they did it, but they did."
] |
The book started off with various points of view used to set the scene and drop some clues in different places. This made it just a little difficult for me to pinpoint the main characters until a few chapters in, but once it became clear who they were, things really got rolling, and that was no longer an issue.
While I'm no expert, it seemed to me that the author did her research into various areas. The CDC protocols, the science behind the animals at Triple E, and the nature of the pandemic facing society was all laid out in terms that were technical enough to be realistic without tipping over into boring as can so easily happen. Nothing about this book was slow, heck no, even if it wasn't a blistering pace all the way through. The proposed scenario for what could happen to our society was chilling. I thought the differing opinions and beliefs of the characters were evenly presented.
The characters that mattered had depth and emotion, and you wanted a good outcome for them, so a few scenes had me cringing to think that might not happen. Even the "bad guys" had believable motivations for what they did. And yes, I stayed up way too late to finish this book, because I just could not put it down.
Small warning: animals die in this book. If that upsets you, you might want to pass on this one. (I only say this because I know someone who would not want to read a book where an animal character dies, so I thought I should mention it.)
And my little pet peeve: head hopping. There is some in this book, though I admit it was so good otherwise I was able to overlook it, for the most part. I know some people don't mind it, but the writer in me balks at it, and so I took off a half star.
Note: A Free Review copy was provided by the author. | 2 | positive | [
"The book started off with various points of view used to set the scene and drop some clues in different places.",
"This made it just a little difficult for me to pinpoint the main characters until a few chapters in, but once it became clear who they were, things really got rolling, and that was no longer an issue.",
"While I'm no expert, it seemed to me that the author did her research into various areas.",
"The CDC protocols, the science behind the animals at Triple E, and the nature of the pandemic facing society was all laid out in terms that were technical enough to be realistic without tipping over into boring as can so easily happen.",
"Nothing about this book was slow, heck no, even if it wasn't a blistering pace all the way through.",
"The proposed scenario for what could happen to our society was chilling.",
"I thought the differing opinions and beliefs of the characters were evenly presented.",
"The characters that mattered had depth and emotion, and you wanted a good outcome for them, so a few scenes had me cringing to think that might not happen.",
"Even the \"bad guys\" had believable motivations for what they did.",
"And yes, I stayed up way too late to finish this book, because I just could not put it down.",
"Small warning: animals die in this book.",
"If that upsets you, you might want to pass on this one.",
"(I only say this because I know someone who would not want to read a book where an animal character dies, so I thought I should mention it.",
")\nAnd my little pet peeve: head hopping.",
"There is some in this book, though I admit it was so good otherwise I was able to overlook it, for the most part.",
"I know some people don't mind it, but the writer in me balks at it, and so I took off a half star.",
"Note: A Free Review copy was provided by the author."
] |
This Earthway spreader is replacing a very old Republic spreader (~25 years old with hard plastic wheels). This 2150 spreader, as well as Earthway's customer service, is awesome! I contacted Earthway for a small issue and they promptly sent out the replacement part needed. Customer service is courteous and responsive. Quick shipping for Amazon's partner and Earthway's extraordinary support make this one of the best purchases I have ever made.
As for performance, this spreader is easy and a joy to use (not my general response to yard work). I actually look forward to the opportunity to use this spreader in the future. If you are looking for a spreader, this is could be the best purchase you can make.
This spreader is an incredible tool. It is well made and feature rich. I absolutely "love" the large pneumatic tires for ease of use, and the accuracy of the spreading dry fertilizer. The Side-Spread-Control is a very useful feature to avoid spreading fertilizer on hard-scape (patio, driveway, sidewalks, etc.). | 2 | positive | [
"This Earthway spreader is replacing a very old Republic spreader (~25 years old with hard plastic wheels).",
"This 2150 spreader, as well as Earthway's customer service, is awesome!",
"I contacted Earthway for a small issue and they promptly sent out the replacement part needed.",
"Customer service is courteous and responsive.",
"Quick shipping for Amazon's partner and Earthway's extraordinary support make this one of the best purchases I have ever made.",
"As for performance, this spreader is easy and a joy to use (not my general response to yard work).",
"I actually look forward to the opportunity to use this spreader in the future.",
"If you are looking for a spreader, this is could be the best purchase you can make.",
"This spreader is an incredible tool.",
"It is well made and feature rich.",
"I absolutely \"love\" the large pneumatic tires for ease of use, and the accuracy of the spreading dry fertilizer.",
"The Side-Spread-Control is a very useful feature to avoid spreading fertilizer on hard-scape (patio, driveway, sidewalks, etc.",
")."
] |
I was buying up games for my Retron 5, but hit a snag when it came to Megaman games. They are so expensive! Megaman X-2 alone is over $100 just for a roughed up snes cart only. I bought X for Snes and 3 for Nes, but decided I needed something better without breaking the bank and no matter what between the wii and retron 5 it will be emulation. Time to dust off that Wii. I bought the Megaman Anniversary and Megmaan X Collection for the game cube. The cool thing is they have built in game saves so you don't have to type in any codes like in the old days. However, this game is not as fun on a game cube controller. There is a fix for that. If you buy the game cube classic linker adapter you can plug in a wii classic controller into the gamecube port. The wii classic controller comes close and actually has better build quality, but I wanted to play with an nes or snes controller. Onwards to adapter 2. There is this mayflash wii to nes/snes adapter. Plug in the classic linker to the game cube port, mayflash wii to nes/snes to the classic controller port on the classic linker, and then your nes/snes controller into the mayflash and boom you are all set. Playing Megman 1-8 on the good old nes controller and the snes controller on x(+). Plays great with no lag. With sales, I was able to get all the gamecube games and adapters for under $100. Not bad when one megaman x2 game is over $100. The Nes games are over $360 for the entire collection. I already had the xbox megaman anniversary and I can promise you the gamecube editions of these Megaman games are so much better. Megaman 8 actually works on the gamecube version. You will not be disappointed. Also, if you buy the wii2hd hdmi adapter, you can even get 1080p megaman glory. I'm in old school heaven with one of the best old school game series. Also, by playing this on the good old wii, I also have access to Megaman 9 and 10 so I have all the main megaman games right at my finger tips from the same system. | 2 | positive | [
"I was buying up games for my Retron 5, but hit a snag when it came to Megaman games.",
"They are so expensive!",
"Megaman X-2 alone is over $100 just for a roughed up snes cart only.",
"I bought X for Snes and 3 for Nes, but decided I needed something better without breaking the bank and no matter what between the wii and retron 5 it will be emulation.",
"Time to dust off that Wii.",
"I bought the Megaman Anniversary and Megmaan X Collection for the game cube.",
"The cool thing is they have built in game saves so you don't have to type in any codes like in the old days.",
"However, this game is not as fun on a game cube controller.",
"There is a fix for that.",
"If you buy the game cube classic linker adapter you can plug in a wii classic controller into the gamecube port.",
"The wii classic controller comes close and actually has better build quality, but I wanted to play with an nes or snes controller.",
"Onwards to adapter 2.",
"There is this mayflash wii to nes/snes adapter.",
"Plug in the classic linker to the game cube port, mayflash wii to nes/snes to the classic controller port on the classic linker, and then your nes/snes controller into the mayflash and boom you are all set.",
"Playing Megman 1-8 on the good old nes controller and the snes controller on x(+).",
"Plays great with no lag.",
"With sales, I was able to get all the gamecube games and adapters for under $100.",
"Not bad when one megaman x2 game is over $100.",
"The Nes games are over $360 for the entire collection.",
"I already had the xbox megaman anniversary and I can promise you the gamecube editions of these Megaman games are so much better.",
"Megaman 8 actually works on the gamecube version.",
"You will not be disappointed.",
"Also, if you buy the wii2hd hdmi adapter, you can even get 1080p megaman glory.",
"I'm in old school heaven with one of the best old school game series.",
"Also, by playing this on the good old wii, I also have access to Megaman 9 and 10 so I have all the main megaman games right at my finger tips from the same system."
] |
I decided to review "Mere Christianity" today after reading Chuck Colson's posting at Breakpoint this AM. I have provided the link below. "Mere Christianity" is one of those books that, after reading, leaves you feel blessed and closer to our God. C.S Lewis was required reading at Liberty during my Apologetics MA and when mentored by Charles Colson's The Centurion Program. C.S. Lewis deals with human behavior and frames man's behavior (Moral Law) as part and parcel of the Universe. How man knows right from wrong is dealt with masterfully and turns the reader toward a Creator God.
I bet "Mere Christianity" has planted more seeds for the Kingdom than any other but for The Word. C.S also answers the question - Does Christianity make life easier?
If you want to purchase a book for an agnostic, atheist, new Christian or mature you could do no better. You can buy it in Amazon for $1.24. Blessings.
[...] | 2 | positive | [
"I decided to review \"Mere Christianity\" today after reading Chuck Colson's posting at Breakpoint this AM.",
"I have provided the link below.",
"\"Mere Christianity\" is one of those books that, after reading, leaves you feel blessed and closer to our God.",
"C.",
"S Lewis was required reading at Liberty during my Apologetics MA and when mentored by Charles Colson's The Centurion Program.",
"C.",
"S. Lewis deals with human behavior and frames man's behavior (Moral Law) as part and parcel of the Universe.",
"How man knows right from wrong is dealt with masterfully and turns the reader toward a Creator God.",
"I bet \"Mere Christianity\" has planted more seeds for the Kingdom than any other but for The Word.",
"C.",
"S also answers the question - Does Christianity make life easier?",
"If you want to purchase a book for an agnostic, atheist, new Christian or mature you could do no better.",
"You can buy it in Amazon for $1.",
"24.",
"Blessings.",
"[...",
"]"
] |
I finished playing through this game my senior year of high school after having abandoned it in 8th grade. I can safely say that, despite some rather large flaws, it's a game worth playing.
THE GOOD:
This game is huge. Huge on a scale you can't imagine. The story is pretty deep and epic with some nifty twists and turns. There's plenty of story, great music (although by no means the series' best) and pretty graphics to keep your interest if you can deal with...
THE BAD:
this game has a few damning flaws that keep it out of the better ranks among Final Fantasy games. One of these is its battle system and by extension, the horrid Junction System. Sure, it's complex on a level comparable to playing D & D, but is it fun? No, it in fact, is not fun to spend endless hours in menus equipping various magics to various attributes (magic you have to 'draw', one or two spells at a time, out of your enemies). The Junction system makes your traditional leveling-up pretty much useless. Your characters can be at level 100 and it does you no better off than being at level 30 unless everything is junctioned right.
Also, upgrading your weapons does not increase battle power, it merely changes your limit breaks. I wasn't sure whether I liked this or not, but at least Squall's Lion Heart weapon had a groovy lightsaber glow.
Another problem: Summons last around as long as it takes the average person to slow-cook a turkey, so you'd best have a book ready after the first two or three times you watch them.
The card game is more or less a waste of time, I'd rather have things like VII's snowboarding and motorcycle minigames. Unlike either of those, it is neither fun nor easy to get into. If you want to commit even more time to this game then by all means master the card game. Don't say I didn't warn you though.
MORE GOOD:
There's plenty to discover in this game, and perseverance and inquisition are well-rewarded with nifty little tidbits of character history and cool bonuses. The real reward of this game, for me, though, was the final area of Ultimecia's Castle- the music and graphics just come together so perfectly that it makes it all seem worthwhile, and your victory is also well rewarded with a lengthy FMV.
By all means play this game. It's worth it for the story. Just don't expect to play it more than once. | 2 | positive | [
"I finished playing through this game my senior year of high school after having abandoned it in 8th grade.",
"I can safely say that, despite some rather large flaws, it's a game worth playing.",
"THE GOOD:\nThis game is huge.",
"Huge on a scale you can't imagine.",
"The story is pretty deep and epic with some nifty twists and turns.",
"There's plenty of story, great music (although by no means the series' best) and pretty graphics to keep your interest if you can deal with...",
"THE BAD:\nthis game has a few damning flaws that keep it out of the better ranks among Final Fantasy games.",
"One of these is its battle system and by extension, the horrid Junction System.",
"Sure, it's complex on a level comparable to playing D & D, but is it fun?",
"No, it in fact, is not fun to spend endless hours in menus equipping various magics to various attributes (magic you have to 'draw', one or two spells at a time, out of your enemies).",
"The Junction system makes your traditional leveling-up pretty much useless.",
"Your characters can be at level 100 and it does you no better off than being at level 30 unless everything is junctioned right.",
"Also, upgrading your weapons does not increase battle power, it merely changes your limit breaks.",
"I wasn't sure whether I liked this or not, but at least Squall's Lion Heart weapon had a groovy lightsaber glow.",
"Another problem: Summons last around as long as it takes the average person to slow-cook a turkey, so you'd best have a book ready after the first two or three times you watch them.",
"The card game is more or less a waste of time, I'd rather have things like VII's snowboarding and motorcycle minigames.",
"Unlike either of those, it is neither fun nor easy to get into.",
"If you want to commit even more time to this game then by all means master the card game.",
"Don't say I didn't warn you though.",
"MORE GOOD:\nThere's plenty to discover in this game, and perseverance and inquisition are well-rewarded with nifty little tidbits of character history and cool bonuses.",
"The real reward of this game, for me, though, was the final area of Ultimecia's Castle- the music and graphics just come together so perfectly that it makes it all seem worthwhile, and your victory is also well rewarded with a lengthy FMV.",
"By all means play this game.",
"It's worth it for the story.",
"Just don't expect to play it more than once."
] |
It is as expected!! I have always wanted a set to combine with my colored pencil art. I want to use it a lot more instead of just using it to outline pictures, but for it to have more of an active part in my artwork. It is the 30th-anniversary set and it is packaged so nicely!! It is not opened by any means. The original wrapping is on the marker set. It was also packaged really well. They were bubbled wrapped and taped securely inside the box, and they came way ahead of schedule!! :D I am extremely happy with my purchase. This is an early birthday gift to myself. | 2 | positive | [
"It is as expected!!",
"I have always wanted a set to combine with my colored pencil art.",
"I want to use it a lot more instead of just using it to outline pictures, but for it to have more of an active part in my artwork.",
"It is the 30th-anniversary set and it is packaged so nicely!!",
"It is not opened by any means.",
"The original wrapping is on the marker set.",
"It was also packaged really well.",
"They were bubbled wrapped and taped securely inside the box, and they came way ahead of schedule!!",
":D I am extremely happy with my purchase.",
"This is an early birthday gift to myself."
] |
This review is for the SHM-SACD. This is my 17th SHM-SACD. Some have been great and others are so so.
This Tears for Fears release is an example of a really good SHM-SACD. I like the sonics and it's crystal clear. Nice separation of instruments. The highs are crisp but not brittle or harsh. The mid range is quite pleasing. The low end is a bit lacking but no where near intolerable. An example of awful bass would be my Rainbow shm-SACD (long live rock n roll). I will simply state a bit more on the bass end would have been nice but by no means does this affect how I feel about this purchase.
I give this SHM-SACD a solid recommend. | 2 | positive | [
"This review is for the SHM-SACD.",
"This is my 17th SHM-SACD.",
"Some have been great and others are so so.",
"This Tears for Fears release is an example of a really good SHM-SACD.",
"I like the sonics and it's crystal clear.",
"Nice separation of instruments.",
"The highs are crisp but not brittle or harsh.",
"The mid range is quite pleasing.",
"The low end is a bit lacking but no where near intolerable.",
"An example of awful bass would be my Rainbow shm-SACD (long live rock n roll).",
"I will simply state a bit more on the bass end would have been nice but by no means does this affect how I feel about this purchase.",
"I give this SHM-SACD a solid recommend."
] |
A monolith of 70's music, this is Springsteen's attempt at summarizing everything that was good and pure about the previous two decades of American rock 'n' roll. "Thunder Road" alone spikes a tap deep into half a century of post-war American folk and teenage mythology, with its casual references to Roy Orbison, Robert Mitchum films, prom-night fantasies, country porches, dusty beach roads and adolescent "Leader of the Pack" ghosts.
It's a very calculated album, though, and I confess that this premeditation hurts it when compared to the more spontaneous "noble savage" vibe of The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle. Some of the music on here is actually rather generic for Springsteen during this era: "Night" is Boss-by-the-numbers, seemingly written as a means to a conceptual end, and "She's The One" fails to deliver on the promise of its Bo Diddley necromancy. (Try to check it out live, however...the performances from Springsteen's 1978 tour, with "Mona" interpolated, finally pull it off.)
As proof of how naked and daring Springsteen's stylized ambitions were on Born To Run, realize that "Jungleland" -- with its star-crossed "Magic Rat" and "Barefoot Girl," musical gangs full of kids who "flash guitars just like switchblades," and midnight shoot-out leaving the hero dead while the Girl mourns -- is nothing more than a goofy 1974 rewrite of that hoary Broadway chestnut West Side Story.
And as proof of how well he managed to pull all this off?...well, why don't you just admit that most of y'all have been hearing this song for more than 30 years now without making that connection. Pretty good job, I'd say. But still, Born To Run is too consciously artifical in its construction to rank as Bruce's best. On later albums, the seams, joints and bolts of his assembly didn't show nearly as much. On earlier ones, the act of creation was more organic. I can't remotely conceive of anyone being disappointed if they buy this album (for god's sake please do it...it's much more than just the two radio hits), but it's not his finest work. | 2 | positive | [
"A monolith of 70's music, this is Springsteen's attempt at summarizing everything that was good and pure about the previous two decades of American rock 'n' roll.",
"\"Thunder Road\" alone spikes a tap deep into half a century of post-war American folk and teenage mythology, with its casual references to Roy Orbison, Robert Mitchum films, prom-night fantasies, country porches, dusty beach roads and adolescent \"Leader of the Pack\" ghosts.",
"It's a very calculated album, though, and I confess that this premeditation hurts it when compared to the more spontaneous \"noble savage\" vibe of The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle.",
"Some of the music on here is actually rather generic for Springsteen during this era: \"Night\" is Boss-by-the-numbers, seemingly written as a means to a conceptual end, and \"She's The One\" fails to deliver on the promise of its Bo Diddley necromancy.",
"(Try to check it out live, however...",
"the performances from Springsteen's 1978 tour, with \"Mona\" interpolated, finally pull it off.",
")\n\nAs proof of how naked and daring Springsteen's stylized ambitions were on Born To Run, realize that \"Jungleland\" -- with its star-crossed \"Magic Rat\" and \"Barefoot Girl,\" musical gangs full of kids who \"flash guitars just like switchblades,\" and midnight shoot-out leaving the hero dead while the Girl mourns -- is nothing more than a goofy 1974 rewrite of that hoary Broadway chestnut West Side Story.",
"And as proof of how well he managed to pull all this off?...",
"well, why don't you just admit that most of y'all have been hearing this song for more than 30 years now without making that connection.",
"Pretty good job, I'd say.",
"But still, Born To Run is too consciously artifical in its construction to rank as Bruce's best.",
"On later albums, the seams, joints and bolts of his assembly didn't show nearly as much.",
"On earlier ones, the act of creation was more organic.",
"I can't remotely conceive of anyone being disappointed if they buy this album (for god's sake please do it...",
"it's much more than just the two radio hits), but it's not his finest work."
] |
Heart's fourth album. Half the album is mid-paced rock that isn't too consistent while the second and better half, which features four lilting [] ballads. They also gain a songwriter collaborator in Sue Ennis, who helped them out throughout their career, though her collaborations dwindled to one or two songs beginning with 1987's Bad Animals. Pity--more of her songs could have helped them more, but that's another story.
"Cook With Fire" begins with a live segment with pounding drums before accompanied by some Zeppelin-like guitars and harmonicas. It's a slow burner, coming to a boil towards the end. Ann really belts it out in the song's midsection as do the musicians.
The rocker "High Time" features some great classic and rhythm guitar work. As the song says, "it's high time for you" and "your time to live like you feel."
"Hijinx" has some bluesy influence and a steady drum and is okay.
The steady drum provides the rhythm for the catchy single "Straight On," helped by both sisters' vocals, Ann's being more resonant.
The next four songs alone could stand as an EP of the softer side of Heart and their justification of having existed. The acoustic guitar that opens the lovely title track and details a life in crisis, a "young world crashing around me/no possibilities of getting what I need" And such a lovely chorus: "See the dog & butterfly/up in the air he like to fly/the dog & but/below she had to try/She roll back down to the warm soft ground/laughing to the sky/up to the sky." The bridge also points to the alienation and coldness one feels. "We're getting older the world's getting colder/For the life of me I don't know the reason why/Maybe it's livin', making us give in/Hearts rolling in taken back on the tide/We're balanced together ocean upon the sky."
"The Lighter Touch" is an early power ballad with piano and strings and rock guitar. The emotion is really ratcheted up after hearing the title track, and there's a fiery guitar solo version of the chorus.
"Nada One" is along the same vein as "Dog & Butterfly", softer guitar and voices. There's a picturesque scene painted here: "Moonshone silver in your eye/Shown on my midnight blues from the sky/Paint the night with love till the burnin' sun/See the colors run/Nada one, nada one." There's a snatch of strings as well as a guitar accompanied by light clapping, and then a dreamy swelling of strings and vocals before things settle down again.
"Mistral Wind" uses the analogy of a ship sailing lost to an unknown dreamland. Example: "I have always held the wheel but/I let the wind steal my power/Spin me 'round lose my course/Nights run by like hours/Well, it would show me the way/To the deepest mountains/Too high and beautiful to be/Mistral, mistral wind"It begins soft and dreamy like "Nada One," then bursts into a crescendo of heavy guitars and power vocals, ending with Ann's fiery repeat of "Mistral, mistral, mistral..."
The first four songs I rate an average of 3.75, while the last beautiful four I give 5, rounding it to 4.375, or 4. | 2 | positive | [
"Heart's fourth album.",
"Half the album is mid-paced rock that isn't too consistent while the second and better half, which features four lilting [] ballads.",
"They also gain a songwriter collaborator in Sue Ennis, who helped them out throughout their career, though her collaborations dwindled to one or two songs beginning with 1987's Bad Animals.",
"Pity--more of her songs could have helped them more, but that's another story.",
"\"Cook With Fire\" begins with a live segment with pounding drums before accompanied by some Zeppelin-like guitars and harmonicas.",
"It's a slow burner, coming to a boil towards the end.",
"Ann really belts it out in the song's midsection as do the musicians.",
"The rocker \"High Time\" features some great classic and rhythm guitar work.",
"As the song says, \"it's high time for you\" and \"your time to live like you feel.",
"\"\n\"Hijinx\" has some bluesy influence and a steady drum and is okay.",
"The steady drum provides the rhythm for the catchy single \"Straight On,\" helped by both sisters' vocals, Ann's being more resonant.",
"The next four songs alone could stand as an EP of the softer side of Heart and their justification of having existed.",
"The acoustic guitar that opens the lovely title track and details a life in crisis, a \"young world crashing around me/no possibilities of getting what I need\" And such a lovely chorus: \"See the dog & butterfly/up in the air he like to fly/the dog & but/below she had to try/She roll back down to the warm soft ground/laughing to the sky/up to the sky.",
"\" The bridge also points to the alienation and coldness one feels.",
"\"We're getting older the world's getting colder/For the life of me I don't know the reason why/Maybe it's livin', making us give in/Hearts rolling in taken back on the tide/We're balanced together ocean upon the sky.",
"\"\n\"The Lighter Touch\" is an early power ballad with piano and strings and rock guitar.",
"The emotion is really ratcheted up after hearing the title track, and there's a fiery guitar solo version of the chorus.",
"\"Nada One\" is along the same vein as \"Dog & Butterfly\", softer guitar and voices.",
"There's a picturesque scene painted here: \"Moonshone silver in your eye/Shown on my midnight blues from the sky/Paint the night with love till the burnin' sun/See the colors run/Nada one, nada one.",
"\" There's a snatch of strings as well as a guitar accompanied by light clapping, and then a dreamy swelling of strings and vocals before things settle down again.",
"\"Mistral Wind\" uses the analogy of a ship sailing lost to an unknown dreamland.",
"Example: \"I have always held the wheel but/I let the wind steal my power/Spin me 'round lose my course/Nights run by like hours/Well, it would show me the way/To the deepest mountains/Too high and beautiful to be/Mistral, mistral wind\"It begins soft and dreamy like \"Nada One,\" then bursts into a crescendo of heavy guitars and power vocals, ending with Ann's fiery repeat of \"Mistral, mistral, mistral...",
"\"\nThe first four songs I rate an average of 3.",
"75, while the last beautiful four I give 5, rounding it to 4.",
"375, or 4."
] |
I cannot eat popcorn. I love popcorn. So what to do.... Pirate's booty satisfies my movie need to crunch. It tastes good. since it is "white" cheddar it has a buttery flavor thus satisfies my taste for popcorn as well. Yea me!
It obviously costs more than popcorn. However, my stomac, IBS, etc... is much happier and healthier with Pirate's Booty. | 2 | positive | [
"I cannot eat popcorn.",
"I love popcorn.",
"So what to do....",
"Pirate's booty satisfies my movie need to crunch.",
"It tastes good.",
"since it is \"white\" cheddar it has a buttery flavor thus satisfies my taste for popcorn as well.",
"Yea me!",
"It obviously costs more than popcorn.",
"However, my stomac, IBS, etc...",
"is much happier and healthier with Pirate's Booty."
] |
Where else could you have this much fun for under six bucks? I LOVE bright colors and I LOVE Sharpies. The colors are intense, they last a long time, and the ink doesn't run. The ink is permanent, quick drying, and works on a variety of surfaces. Perfect for labels and such where you're looking for a colorful, bold line. These are the basic medium size sharpies. Although they're called "fine point," I think that's a big of a misnomer. They have a fine point compared to the old-fashioned chisel-point markers, but they are certainly not as fine as a typical ink pen or Flair marker. Sharpie also makes extra-fine point markers, which are much closer to what I would consider to be a fine point.
These are great and handy to have around, and you certainly can't beat the price. | 2 | positive | [
"Where else could you have this much fun for under six bucks?",
"I LOVE bright colors and I LOVE Sharpies.",
"The colors are intense, they last a long time, and the ink doesn't run.",
"The ink is permanent, quick drying, and works on a variety of surfaces.",
"Perfect for labels and such where you're looking for a colorful, bold line.",
"These are the basic medium size sharpies.",
"Although they're called \"fine point,\" I think that's a big of a misnomer.",
"They have a fine point compared to the old-fashioned chisel-point markers, but they are certainly not as fine as a typical ink pen or Flair marker.",
"Sharpie also makes extra-fine point markers, which are much closer to what I would consider to be a fine point.",
"These are great and handy to have around, and you certainly can't beat the price."
] |
Works great. I've had this brass lock for 4 years now. It has been in a northern, winter salt area for 2.5 years. I use it every time I hook up a trailer because I have had a trailer stolen before; plus it ensures the hitch latch does not pop open.
It has performed very well in the amount of time I have had it. Even in the winter environment, it has not corroded. There have been a few times where I had trouble getting the pin to pull open, but it eventually opened after tugging on it a few more times. I removed one star for this problem.
The keys are durable and the tumbler has never frozen on me. Mind you, I have never oiled this lock.
I would get another one of these if I ever lose the current one. | 2 | positive | [
"Works great.",
"I've had this brass lock for 4 years now.",
"It has been in a northern, winter salt area for 2.",
"5 years.",
"I use it every time I hook up a trailer because I have had a trailer stolen before; plus it ensures the hitch latch does not pop open.",
"It has performed very well in the amount of time I have had it.",
"Even in the winter environment, it has not corroded.",
"There have been a few times where I had trouble getting the pin to pull open, but it eventually opened after tugging on it a few more times.",
"I removed one star for this problem.",
"The keys are durable and the tumbler has never frozen on me.",
"Mind you, I have never oiled this lock.",
"I would get another one of these if I ever lose the current one."
] |
Sissy Spacek won the 1980 Academy Award as Best Actress playing country music legend Loretta Lynn. Spacek was actually Loretta's first choice when asked who should play her. Based on the autobiography by Lynn, "Coal Miners Daughter" continues to be one of the best biopics Hollywood has ever produced. Loretta's hardships growing up in a small coal mining town in Kentucky, her marriage at 13 to the man of her dreams, the birth of her children, and her eventual stardom, are all covered nicely in this beautiful film. Tommy Lee Jones is excellent as Loretta's husband and Beverly D'Angelo is superb as Lynn's best friend and idol Patsy Cline. Both Spacek and D'Angelo also did all their own singing for the movie.
Among the many special features on this DVD are interviews with Loretta Lynn, Sissy Spacek, and others. There is also a wonderful commentary track by Spacek and Michael Apted who directed the feature.
The movie is a little over two hours long and comes in anamorphic widescreen.
For lovers of country music Hollywood is currently working on a feature film about one of Loretta's best friends, Dolly Parton. The movie is expected to be released in the next two years. | 2 | positive | [
"Sissy Spacek won the 1980 Academy Award as Best Actress playing country music legend Loretta Lynn.",
"Spacek was actually Loretta's first choice when asked who should play her.",
"Based on the autobiography by Lynn, \"Coal Miners Daughter\" continues to be one of the best biopics Hollywood has ever produced.",
"Loretta's hardships growing up in a small coal mining town in Kentucky, her marriage at 13 to the man of her dreams, the birth of her children, and her eventual stardom, are all covered nicely in this beautiful film.",
"Tommy Lee Jones is excellent as Loretta's husband and Beverly D'Angelo is superb as Lynn's best friend and idol Patsy Cline.",
"Both Spacek and D'Angelo also did all their own singing for the movie.",
"Among the many special features on this DVD are interviews with Loretta Lynn, Sissy Spacek, and others.",
"There is also a wonderful commentary track by Spacek and Michael Apted who directed the feature.",
"The movie is a little over two hours long and comes in anamorphic widescreen.",
"For lovers of country music Hollywood is currently working on a feature film about one of Loretta's best friends, Dolly Parton.",
"The movie is expected to be released in the next two years."
] |
Dylan has made many fine albums, and Another Side of is certainly one of them. In fact, I'd put this at my third-favorite (behind Blood on the Tracks and Bringing It All Back Home). It's just packed with one good song after another. There's the obvious favorites--All I Really Want to Do, Chimes of Freedom, My Back Pages and It Ain't Me Babe are among the best of Dylan's catalouge--but I also find myself enjoying a couple of lesser-discussed songs. For instance, when was the last time someone told you I Shall Be Free No. 10 was one of Bob Dylan's finest songs? Well, I do. It is HILARIOUS! And how about the woefully-underrated I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)? I'd say that this is my favorite piece on the album, one of the best ballads ever recorded. And the electric version (on Live 1966) is essential Dylan. Finally, the trilogy of Ballad in Plain D, Motorpsycho Nitemare and To Ramona. The first is probably the most bashed song on the whole album, supposedly too long, too personal, too etc. Well guess what? This is a personal album. And though the Ballad sometimes uses annoying, faux-poetic language, that doesn't keep it from greatness. As for Motorpsycho Nitemare, what a hilarious song this is! Though it isn't the best song on the album by far, it is indefinetly an inspiration to one of my favorite songs ever, Bob Dylan's 115th Dream. Even the titles are similar! Finally, To Ramona is one of the most mature love songs ever penned. One filler (Black Crow Blues), but it doesn't keep the album away from greatness. | 2 | positive | [
"Dylan has made many fine albums, and Another Side of is certainly one of them.",
"In fact, I'd put this at my third-favorite (behind Blood on the Tracks and Bringing It All Back Home).",
"It's just packed with one good song after another.",
"There's the obvious favorites--All I Really Want to Do, Chimes of Freedom, My Back Pages and It Ain't Me Babe are among the best of Dylan's catalouge--but I also find myself enjoying a couple of lesser-discussed songs.",
"For instance, when was the last time someone told you I Shall Be Free No.",
"10 was one of Bob Dylan's finest songs?",
"Well, I do.",
"It is HILARIOUS!",
"And how about the woefully-underrated I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)?",
"I'd say that this is my favorite piece on the album, one of the best ballads ever recorded.",
"And the electric version (on Live 1966) is essential Dylan.",
"Finally, the trilogy of Ballad in Plain D, Motorpsycho Nitemare and To Ramona.",
"The first is probably the most bashed song on the whole album, supposedly too long, too personal, too etc.",
"Well guess what?",
"This is a personal album.",
"And though the Ballad sometimes uses annoying, faux-poetic language, that doesn't keep it from greatness.",
"As for Motorpsycho Nitemare, what a hilarious song this is!",
"Though it isn't the best song on the album by far, it is indefinetly an inspiration to one of my favorite songs ever, Bob Dylan's 115th Dream.",
"Even the titles are similar!",
"Finally, To Ramona is one of the most mature love songs ever penned.",
"One filler (Black Crow Blues), but it doesn't keep the album away from greatness."
] |
Very nice solidly made product and it's nice to see it was made in the USA. Assemble the mirror arm to the mirror base FIRST as instructed. Just tighten each component snugly during assembly. This will allow later adjustment for your particular bike. Fully tighten after your first ride adjustment. When they say the small cap screws ARE a tight fit they aren't kidding. Unless you assemble the arm to the base first you WON'T have enough leverage to tighten the mirror to the arm. Before assembling the wedge to the base check which will fit in your handlebar first. It will save removing it if it's the wrong size for your handlebar. Also tighten wedge to the base so that it's a tight fit AS you insert into the handlebar. If you don't the barrel will just spin in the handlebar and won't tighten. | 2 | positive | [
"Very nice solidly made product and it's nice to see it was made in the USA.",
"Assemble the mirror arm to the mirror base FIRST as instructed.",
"Just tighten each component snugly during assembly.",
"This will allow later adjustment for your particular bike.",
"Fully tighten after your first ride adjustment.",
"When they say the small cap screws ARE a tight fit they aren't kidding.",
"Unless you assemble the arm to the base first you WON'T have enough leverage to tighten the mirror to the arm.",
"Before assembling the wedge to the base check which will fit in your handlebar first.",
"It will save removing it if it's the wrong size for your handlebar.",
"Also tighten wedge to the base so that it's a tight fit AS you insert into the handlebar.",
"If you don't the barrel will just spin in the handlebar and won't tighten."
] |
First- I love this light weight vac but it does have a couple of cons that lowered the rating.
Con 1- has a hard time picking up little leaves or kitty fur ( which seems to tangle up the rollers easily..)
con2. Do NOT buy unless you get two batteries. I have tried everything but the battery life is not anywhere as described and if I hadn't received a second battery I probably would have returned this item.
The pro is it does still pick up other stuff pretty well and its so light weight .
UPDATE:
Increased the star rating due to excellent customer support from Eureka direct. Notified them of the charging issues and they were awesome and provided the type of customer service that we rarely see anymore. Hoping a new charging unit and batteries will improve the use time but regardless.. customer serviced from Eureka has me believing that if I ever have more problems, they stand behind their product | 2 | positive | [
"First- I love this light weight vac but it does have a couple of cons that lowered the rating.",
"Con 1- has a hard time picking up little leaves or kitty fur ( which seems to tangle up the rollers easily..",
")\ncon2.",
"Do NOT buy unless you get two batteries.",
"I have tried everything but the battery life is not anywhere as described and if I hadn't received a second battery I probably would have returned this item.",
"The pro is it does still pick up other stuff pretty well and its so light weight.",
"UPDATE:\n Increased the star rating due to excellent customer support from Eureka direct.",
"Notified them of the charging issues and they were awesome and provided the type of customer service that we rarely see anymore.",
"Hoping a new charging unit and batteries will improve the use time but regardless..",
"customer serviced from Eureka has me believing that if I ever have more problems, they stand behind their product"
] |
Excellent logic game. I purchased it for my 7 year old thinking there was a good chance it would be too hard for him, but he's really gotten into it. It's a challenge for him, but he can solve each puzzle quickly enough so that he doesn't get frustrated. And he LOVES solving new levels. My 4 year old is also able to play this game. It's obviously harder for her, but this is a great game that really can be used by people of all ages. It's been wonderful to see how much progress the kids made...it took a long time for them to solve the first puzzles, but they have clearly learned skills that allow them to figure out harder levels faster. I often pick this up and play with it myself. There's something really relaxing about sliding those little cars around and finally getting the little red one free. | 2 | positive | [
"Excellent logic game.",
"I purchased it for my 7 year old thinking there was a good chance it would be too hard for him, but he's really gotten into it.",
"It's a challenge for him, but he can solve each puzzle quickly enough so that he doesn't get frustrated.",
"And he LOVES solving new levels.",
"My 4 year old is also able to play this game.",
"It's obviously harder for her, but this is a great game that really can be used by people of all ages.",
"It's been wonderful to see how much progress the kids made...",
"it took a long time for them to solve the first puzzles, but they have clearly learned skills that allow them to figure out harder levels faster.",
"I often pick this up and play with it myself.",
"There's something really relaxing about sliding those little cars around and finally getting the little red one free."
] |
I think my biggest issue with this product (ignoring the lack of a Mac version, or versions for Linux users, etc.) is that it, like the tax software that gets used each year, seemingly needs to be replaced yearly. Realistically though, the tax laws (in the case of the income tax processing software) change yearly and most lawyers would also advise that the laws surrounding and involving wills, estates, and trusts, also change on a regular basis. In the end, spending the small amount of money that this useful software costs is a wise investment each year, or every other year if you really want to stretch out the use period for this software.
Besides needing to keep up with changing laws, there's also the idea that spending some time planning out your estate on a more regular basis would be highly advisable. Ignoring this process could mean you put together a set of instructions that don't get updated and wind up leaving behind an even bigger mess than if you hadn't even bothered to put together a will. (Do you really want to forget to go back and change your directions if you originally left all of your assets to a wife who long ago divorced you? Or to kids that haven't called you in years?)
Once installed, the software is easy enough to use. Installation should be a breeze, though it doesn't always proceed as easily as that. Just be patient, read the screens carefully, and follow the instructions or use the tips and instructions found online to complete the process. Once installed, update the software with whatever updates are available and from there you are on your way.
Note that if you are intending to work with an attorney than ignore this product. Most attorneys would advise that even if you had the best of intentions in sitting down with this product, that you'd be duplicating effort if you took them printouts from this product and expected them to use those printouts rather than their own documents. That doesn't mean you can't use the reports you get from this product if you are completely doing it yourself, it simply means that most lawyers will use their own reports and won't accept a file from this product, or a report from this product to use to get started with. | 2 | positive | [
"I think my biggest issue with this product (ignoring the lack of a Mac version, or versions for Linux users, etc.",
") is that it, like the tax software that gets used each year, seemingly needs to be replaced yearly.",
"Realistically though, the tax laws (in the case of the income tax processing software) change yearly and most lawyers would also advise that the laws surrounding and involving wills, estates, and trusts, also change on a regular basis.",
"In the end, spending the small amount of money that this useful software costs is a wise investment each year, or every other year if you really want to stretch out the use period for this software.",
"Besides needing to keep up with changing laws, there's also the idea that spending some time planning out your estate on a more regular basis would be highly advisable.",
"Ignoring this process could mean you put together a set of instructions that don't get updated and wind up leaving behind an even bigger mess than if you hadn't even bothered to put together a will.",
"(Do you really want to forget to go back and change your directions if you originally left all of your assets to a wife who long ago divorced you?",
"Or to kids that haven't called you in years?",
")\n\nOnce installed, the software is easy enough to use.",
"Installation should be a breeze, though it doesn't always proceed as easily as that.",
"Just be patient, read the screens carefully, and follow the instructions or use the tips and instructions found online to complete the process.",
"Once installed, update the software with whatever updates are available and from there you are on your way.",
"Note that if you are intending to work with an attorney than ignore this product.",
"Most attorneys would advise that even if you had the best of intentions in sitting down with this product, that you'd be duplicating effort if you took them printouts from this product and expected them to use those printouts rather than their own documents.",
"That doesn't mean you can't use the reports you get from this product if you are completely doing it yourself, it simply means that most lawyers will use their own reports and won't accept a file from this product, or a report from this product to use to get started with."
] |
I received this phone as a huge surprise on Christmas Eve. I had been wanting this phone for quite a while because of its businesslike appearance and features, and to replace my old and somewhat lacking LG KP500 Cookie.
Here are the main pros and cons of this phone.
PROS:
-Amazing Quality and Form: The phone is wrapped in a chrome metallic surface and just screams quality. Just to hold the phone is a treat. All the buttons are where you expect them to be (and all feel well made), and little touches like a gripped backing add a feeling of extra stability to the phone. Compared to the somewhat plasticy Blackberry, this feels way better.
-User Interface: The somewhat complicated (see Cons) Symbian UI is excellent for both the businessman and the personal user. It provides extended customization and easy access to Email and all of your apps right from the home screen. Notifications also pop up on the home screen, and a notification light blinks. You can also switch between two Home screens, a business one and a personal one.
-3G and Wi-Fi connectivity: My current plan is T-Mobile's Pay-As-You-Go plan, which only runs on basic GPRS technology, so I can't actually comment on the 3G connectivity. The Wi-Fi functions work incredibly fast, with no issues connecting. Setting up Wi-Fi is a breeze, and it remembers saved networks.
-Camera and Video: The 3MP camera is pretty good. It works well in both low light and sunlight, and offers autofocus, flash, and many different color overlays. Video has good quality as well. There is also a front-facing camera, but I haven't gotten around to using it yet.
-Apps and Ovi App Store: Tons of Apps can be downloaded to this Phone. Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, QuickOffice, a Mail Client, and IM all come preloaded. Not much to say here, everything works as it should. Note: Skype and Opera Mobile are also available for download and they both work incredibly well on this phone.
-E-Mail Client: Amazing, Robust Client... Much better than Blackberry or iOS's included clients. Allows for autosync and multiple addresses, with tons of customization options.
CON:
-UI COULD be hard to use for some, mainly because of the somewhat disorganized folders.
-Ovi Store sometimes freezes up on me and I have to force exit the app.
-Ovi PC software is a bit buggy.
OTHER:
-Battery Life: Not really a con, not really a pro; 2 days with heavy use. With minimal use, it lasts up to four days.
Overall, I would easily recommend this phone to any "heavy" cell phone user, especially at the somewhat low price tag. | 2 | positive | [
"I received this phone as a huge surprise on Christmas Eve.",
"I had been wanting this phone for quite a while because of its businesslike appearance and features, and to replace my old and somewhat lacking LG KP500 Cookie.",
"Here are the main pros and cons of this phone.",
"PROS:\n\n-Amazing Quality and Form: The phone is wrapped in a chrome metallic surface and just screams quality.",
"Just to hold the phone is a treat.",
"All the buttons are where you expect them to be (and all feel well made), and little touches like a gripped backing add a feeling of extra stability to the phone.",
"Compared to the somewhat plasticy Blackberry, this feels way better.",
"-User Interface: The somewhat complicated (see Cons) Symbian UI is excellent for both the businessman and the personal user.",
"It provides extended customization and easy access to Email and all of your apps right from the home screen.",
"Notifications also pop up on the home screen, and a notification light blinks.",
"You can also switch between two Home screens, a business one and a personal one.",
"-3G and Wi-Fi connectivity: My current plan is T-Mobile's Pay-As-You-Go plan, which only runs on basic GPRS technology, so I can't actually comment on the 3G connectivity.",
"The Wi-Fi functions work incredibly fast, with no issues connecting.",
"Setting up Wi-Fi is a breeze, and it remembers saved networks.",
"-Camera and Video: The 3MP camera is pretty good.",
"It works well in both low light and sunlight, and offers autofocus, flash, and many different color overlays.",
"Video has good quality as well.",
"There is also a front-facing camera, but I haven't gotten around to using it yet.",
"-Apps and Ovi App Store: Tons of Apps can be downloaded to this Phone.",
"Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, QuickOffice, a Mail Client, and IM all come preloaded.",
"Not much to say here, everything works as it should.",
"Note: Skype and Opera Mobile are also available for download and they both work incredibly well on this phone.",
"-E-Mail Client: Amazing, Robust Client...",
"Much better than Blackberry or iOS's included clients.",
"Allows for autosync and multiple addresses, with tons of customization options.",
"CON:\n\n-UI COULD be hard to use for some, mainly because of the somewhat disorganized folders.",
"-Ovi Store sometimes freezes up on me and I have to force exit the app.",
"-Ovi PC software is a bit buggy.",
"OTHER:\n\n-Battery Life: Not really a con, not really a pro; 2 days with heavy use.",
"With minimal use, it lasts up to four days.",
"Overall, I would easily recommend this phone to any \"heavy\" cell phone user, especially at the somewhat low price tag."
] |
These are the BEST tongs I have ever owned. I initially purchased the 12-inch size, but I liked it so much I then purchased the 9-inch and 16-inch size to complete the set. These are some of my favorite kitchen tools and so I highly recommend these tongs.
I've had a lot of tongs that have warped, melted, broke, did a poor job grasping food, etc. Part of this reason was because I was too cheap to buy nice tongs. It took me a little while to bring myself to buy these more expensive OXO Good Grips Tongs, but I am really glad I did.
THE DESIGN
The construction of these is a brushed stainless steel frame with (removable) rubberized silicone inserts to give you more grip. These tongs can lock closed via a mechanism which is a pull-push lever located on the back. The portion of the tongs that makes contact with food is bare stainless steel. As I cook on stainless clad cookware that is safe to use stainless utensils with, this is exactly what I wanted (if you have non-stick cookware, certain coating types can be damaged by these as a heads-up.) If your cookware can safely support stainless utensils, THIS set with stainless steel heads will yield maximum performance & durability.
THE BUILD QUALITY & PERFORMANCE
Beyond everything else, these tongs are SUPER easy to grasp food with and do a fantastic job at preventing food from slipping. Even if that food is heavy or covered in [slippery] oil, these tongs maintain a stable grip. The finish is simple, consistent, and functionally beneficial. Brushed stainless hides scratch/usage/hard water markings, plus it increases stain/corrosion resistance. The silicone inserts are tough, heat-resistant, can be removed for cleaning or replacement, and firmly lock into place so they do not pop out randomly. The mechanism to lock these closed is oversized & easy to use (even with gloves/mitts on), strong as can be, and accessible (the hanging hole is convenient.) The spring is heavy duty and after years of almost daily usage it still shows no sign of fatigue. The hinge is also heavy-duty and has not developed excessive lateral play. In fact, despite heavy & frequent usage, my tongs still look and function like the day I bought them. OXO clearly spent a lot of time with the research & development because they made a product that is very functional and very durable.
CLEANING
These are low maintenance and do not need special cleaning care at all. I usually clean these in the dishwasher without removing the silicone inserts and they come out perfect every time. If there is a lot of caked-up food on them, I sometimes clean them with a metal polish called Bar Keeper's Friend (amazing stuff.) These tongs have held up like a champ to countless cleaning cycles & the use of cleaning chemicals/polishes.
SIZES---WHICH SIZE???
I initially purchased the 12-inch size and it is the size I use the most. With that said, I LOVE the 16-inch for when I am doing something in which more distance is desirable, such as if I am turning bacon as 16 inches puts a nice distance between my hand & the scalding-hot popping grease. And while the 9-inch is the size I use the least, it is still great to have when I am making something in a smaller pot as that reduced form factor makes it a little more nimble. So while I think all three sizes are very useful, if you are only going to purchase one size, I recommend the 12-inch.
SO THIS IS AN INVESTMENT OF A QUALITY KITCHEN TOOL THAT WILL LAST
So if you are thinking, "hey, these cost more than many other tongs I have seen," I understand where you are coming from as I've been there myself. However, I highly recommend spending the few extra bucks on these OXO Good Grips as that small price premium gets you a product of exceptional quality: not only will these tongs last a very long time to offset the higher purchase price, but their good functional design makes using them more convenient (and therefore more enjoyable.) Convenience and enjoyment can encourage cooking more often, and when cooking more often one can save money over eating out, and arguably eat much healthier. So like other premium kitchen tools, I see these quality tongs as an investment.
(PICTURE NOTE: The attached pictures show the 12-inch and 16-inch sizes, with various angles showing the different features & the sturdy build quality of these tongs.) | 2 | positive | [
"These are the BEST tongs I have ever owned.",
"I initially purchased the 12-inch size, but I liked it so much I then purchased the 9-inch and 16-inch size to complete the set.",
"These are some of my favorite kitchen tools and so I highly recommend these tongs.",
"I've had a lot of tongs that have warped, melted, broke, did a poor job grasping food, etc.",
"Part of this reason was because I was too cheap to buy nice tongs.",
"It took me a little while to bring myself to buy these more expensive OXO Good Grips Tongs, but I am really glad I did.",
"THE DESIGN\nThe construction of these is a brushed stainless steel frame with (removable) rubberized silicone inserts to give you more grip.",
"These tongs can lock closed via a mechanism which is a pull-push lever located on the back.",
"The portion of the tongs that makes contact with food is bare stainless steel.",
"As I cook on stainless clad cookware that is safe to use stainless utensils with, this is exactly what I wanted (if you have non-stick cookware, certain coating types can be damaged by these as a heads-up.",
") If your cookware can safely support stainless utensils, THIS set with stainless steel heads will yield maximum performance & durability.",
"THE BUILD QUALITY & PERFORMANCE\nBeyond everything else, these tongs are SUPER easy to grasp food with and do a fantastic job at preventing food from slipping.",
"Even if that food is heavy or covered in [slippery] oil, these tongs maintain a stable grip.",
"The finish is simple, consistent, and functionally beneficial.",
"Brushed stainless hides scratch/usage/hard water markings, plus it increases stain/corrosion resistance.",
"The silicone inserts are tough, heat-resistant, can be removed for cleaning or replacement, and firmly lock into place so they do not pop out randomly.",
"The mechanism to lock these closed is oversized & easy to use (even with gloves/mitts on), strong as can be, and accessible (the hanging hole is convenient.",
") The spring is heavy duty and after years of almost daily usage it still shows no sign of fatigue.",
"The hinge is also heavy-duty and has not developed excessive lateral play.",
"In fact, despite heavy & frequent usage, my tongs still look and function like the day I bought them.",
"OXO clearly spent a lot of time with the research & development because they made a product that is very functional and very durable.",
"CLEANING\nThese are low maintenance and do not need special cleaning care at all.",
"I usually clean these in the dishwasher without removing the silicone inserts and they come out perfect every time.",
"If there is a lot of caked-up food on them, I sometimes clean them with a metal polish called Bar Keeper's Friend (amazing stuff.",
") These tongs have held up like a champ to countless cleaning cycles & the use of cleaning chemicals/polishes.",
"SIZES---WHICH SIZE???",
"I initially purchased the 12-inch size and it is the size I use the most.",
"With that said, I LOVE the 16-inch for when I am doing something in which more distance is desirable, such as if I am turning bacon as 16 inches puts a nice distance between my hand & the scalding-hot popping grease.",
"And while the 9-inch is the size I use the least, it is still great to have when I am making something in a smaller pot as that reduced form factor makes it a little more nimble.",
"So while I think all three sizes are very useful, if you are only going to purchase one size, I recommend the 12-inch.",
"SO THIS IS AN INVESTMENT OF A QUALITY KITCHEN TOOL THAT WILL LAST\nSo if you are thinking, \"hey, these cost more than many other tongs I have seen,\" I understand where you are coming from as I've been there myself.",
"However, I highly recommend spending the few extra bucks on these OXO Good Grips as that small price premium gets you a product of exceptional quality: not only will these tongs last a very long time to offset the higher purchase price, but their good functional design makes using them more convenient (and therefore more enjoyable.",
") Convenience and enjoyment can encourage cooking more often, and when cooking more often one can save money over eating out, and arguably eat much healthier.",
"So like other premium kitchen tools, I see these quality tongs as an investment.",
"(PICTURE NOTE: The attached pictures show the 12-inch and 16-inch sizes, with various angles showing the different features & the sturdy build quality of these tongs.",
")"
] |
I've purchase this filter last year after having my friend tell me how much he love his EHEIM filter. I have to admit, I love it too. Easy to start up and I don't have to worry about it after a power outage since it'll start itself right back up. I love the valves this filter comes it, makes taking the filter outside to clean so much easier. I don't have to worry about water back flowing under the cabinet. Before the EHEIM, I had a cheap one from SunSun. EHEIM filter is much better. It's a little hard to get it open to clean but I only have to open it twice a year to clean it so it's not a big issue. One thing I wish they did was to label which one is inflow and which one is outflow. I have to look it up every time I disconnect the filter to take to clean since I forget. | 2 | positive | [
"I've purchase this filter last year after having my friend tell me how much he love his EHEIM filter.",
"I have to admit, I love it too.",
"Easy to start up and I don't have to worry about it after a power outage since it'll start itself right back up.",
"I love the valves this filter comes it, makes taking the filter outside to clean so much easier.",
"I don't have to worry about water back flowing under the cabinet.",
"Before the EHEIM, I had a cheap one from SunSun.",
"EHEIM filter is much better.",
"It's a little hard to get it open to clean but I only have to open it twice a year to clean it so it's not a big issue.",
"One thing I wish they did was to label which one is inflow and which one is outflow.",
"I have to look it up every time I disconnect the filter to take to clean since I forget."
] |
It's hard to view "Good Will Hunting" without a certain detachment. After all, two young actor punks won Oscars for their screenplay - and considering this is a vanity project in the purest sense (they wrote it to give themselves some great roles), there's a strong urge to analyze the film rather than just watch it.
But try to watch it and you'll see how strong it really is. Affleck and Damon have written an intelligent and engaging movie with some exceptionally moving and real moments. Williams is outstanding - few actors could deliver his key lines (and key silences) with the understated conviction he brings. Damon and Affleck, and their buddies, transcend the vanity project tag and really embody their characters. You're with them. You care about them. And so when the movie completes its rather conventional arc, you're happy that everything went pretty much the way you thought it would.
Directed with an extremely perceptive and sensitive touch by Gus Van Sant, "Good Will Hunting" breaks no new ground, but it's not supposed to. It's an effective, simple, engaging character study with sharp performances. To add "and nothing more" to that sentence would be a travesty, since it's a rare movie that offers even that much. Well done, Ben n' Matt - write another one, huh? | 2 | positive | [
"It's hard to view \"Good Will Hunting\" without a certain detachment.",
"After all, two young actor punks won Oscars for their screenplay - and considering this is a vanity project in the purest sense (they wrote it to give themselves some great roles), there's a strong urge to analyze the film rather than just watch it.",
"But try to watch it and you'll see how strong it really is.",
"Affleck and Damon have written an intelligent and engaging movie with some exceptionally moving and real moments.",
"Williams is outstanding - few actors could deliver his key lines (and key silences) with the understated conviction he brings.",
"Damon and Affleck, and their buddies, transcend the vanity project tag and really embody their characters.",
"You're with them.",
"You care about them.",
"And so when the movie completes its rather conventional arc, you're happy that everything went pretty much the way you thought it would.",
"Directed with an extremely perceptive and sensitive touch by Gus Van Sant, \"Good Will Hunting\" breaks no new ground, but it's not supposed to.",
"It's an effective, simple, engaging character study with sharp performances.",
"To add \"and nothing more\" to that sentence would be a travesty, since it's a rare movie that offers even that much.",
"Well done, Ben n' Matt - write another one, huh?"
] |
I had 2 sets of Signature Housewares extra small cat bowls in different patterns for my 2 cats that I found on clearance at a department store back in 2006 or 2007. I adopted a third cat this past summer and have been looking in stores and online for a similar set for him with no luck. I didn't really care if it was the same brand, just as long as it was the same size and shape and a fun pattern. I would come across 1 bowl with no mate or a set priced way more than I was willing to spend. Then I found the found the Signature Housewares bowls here on Amazon. I measured the bowls I had to be sure it was the same size before ordering so I knew the ones I was trying to coordinate with were indeed the extra small size. I ordered 2 in this pattern, "Spot", for him.
The extra small bowl easily holds 1 cup dry food or 5.5 oz. can of wet food which is perfect for my cats. The 2 sets I've had have held up nicely for 6 or 7 years now. I run them in the dishwasher once a week or so and the pattern has not faded or chipped off. They still look new so I'm confident that this one will hold up as well. This colors on this particular "Spot" bowl match what I see online. There's also more cute design on the inside bottom and inside rim that isn't displayed online. Unlike my other 2 sets, this bowl has 3 cork pads on the bottom probably intended to keep the bowl from sliding around. It's not a necessary addition in my experience with these bowls. The ceramic, or stoneware, has a decent weight to it. The cats don't/can't nudge them like they can with plastic bowls. With washing I think the cork pads will flake off which is fine with me if I don't end up peeling them off myself.
I don't really care for the cork pads, but I give these bowls 5 stars anyway. I highly recommend them. There are a lot of cute designs to choose from and the ones I already had have held up great for many years now. And some people out there may appreciate the cork pads. One bowl did arrive broken, but it's in the process of being replaced so I'm pretty happy with this find. | 2 | positive | [
"I had 2 sets of Signature Housewares extra small cat bowls in different patterns for my 2 cats that I found on clearance at a department store back in 2006 or 2007.",
"I adopted a third cat this past summer and have been looking in stores and online for a similar set for him with no luck.",
"I didn't really care if it was the same brand, just as long as it was the same size and shape and a fun pattern.",
"I would come across 1 bowl with no mate or a set priced way more than I was willing to spend.",
"Then I found the found the Signature Housewares bowls here on Amazon.",
"I measured the bowls I had to be sure it was the same size before ordering so I knew the ones I was trying to coordinate with were indeed the extra small size.",
"I ordered 2 in this pattern, \"Spot\", for him.",
"The extra small bowl easily holds 1 cup dry food or 5.",
"5 oz.",
"can of wet food which is perfect for my cats.",
"The 2 sets I've had have held up nicely for 6 or 7 years now.",
"I run them in the dishwasher once a week or so and the pattern has not faded or chipped off.",
"They still look new so I'm confident that this one will hold up as well.",
"This colors on this particular \"Spot\" bowl match what I see online.",
"There's also more cute design on the inside bottom and inside rim that isn't displayed online.",
"Unlike my other 2 sets, this bowl has 3 cork pads on the bottom probably intended to keep the bowl from sliding around.",
"It's not a necessary addition in my experience with these bowls.",
"The ceramic, or stoneware, has a decent weight to it.",
"The cats don't/can't nudge them like they can with plastic bowls.",
"With washing I think the cork pads will flake off which is fine with me if I don't end up peeling them off myself.",
"I don't really care for the cork pads, but I give these bowls 5 stars anyway.",
"I highly recommend them.",
"There are a lot of cute designs to choose from and the ones I already had have held up great for many years now.",
"And some people out there may appreciate the cork pads.",
"One bowl did arrive broken, but it's in the process of being replaced so I'm pretty happy with this find."
] |
WOW! its amazing!
did i say its awesome?
It has very nice IQ
Amazing low light performance for photos AND video.
Light wighted
NOT as bad constructed as many online reviews says.... yes it is plastic.... so?.... well, if you think of knocking it against the floor you'd like to think it twice before you do it... :S
AF works fine, a little noisy.... but i won't use it for wild jungle animals.
The bokeh is really nice. Some says that bokeh coming from lights with pentagon shapes as a CON... but i say: COOL!
Depth of field with 1.8 is impressively narrow... but you loose some IQ at f/1.8. In my opinion, you better use it at f/2.8, get the insuperable IQ of a prime lens and set a more usable and controllable depth of field.
Using it for portraits? PERFECT
Using it for cropped landscapes? NICE!
And so on....
Fully recommendable....
PS: I have a canon 550D T2i, APS sensor. | 2 | positive | [
"WOW!",
"its amazing!",
"did i say its awesome?",
"It has very nice IQ\nAmazing low light performance for photos AND video.",
"Light wighted\nNOT as bad constructed as many online reviews says....",
"yes it is plastic....",
"so?...",
".",
"well, if you think of knocking it against the floor you'd like to think it twice before you do it...",
":S\nAF works fine, a little noisy....",
"but i won't use it for wild jungle animals.",
"The bokeh is really nice.",
"Some says that bokeh coming from lights with pentagon shapes as a CON...",
"but i say: COOL!",
"Depth of field with 1.",
"8 is impressively narrow...",
"but you loose some IQ at f/1.",
"8. In my opinion, you better use it at f/2.",
"8, get the insuperable IQ of a prime lens and set a more usable and controllable depth of field.",
"Using it for portraits?",
"PERFECT\nUsing it for cropped landscapes?",
"NICE!",
"And so on....",
"Fully recommendable....",
"PS: I have a canon 550D T2i, APS sensor."
] |
Although there are a few flubs on Love Gun, it is truly the last great Kiss album. Not entirely perfect, Love Gun is Kiss at the peak of their popularity. The legendary live show that would spawn the awesome Alive II came from the Love Gun tour. All bands peak, and Love Gun is the point where the monster that Kiss had become would begin to spring leaks and take on water afterwards.
"I Stole Your Love" a Kiss classic and a live staple. Simple, straight-up rock anthem. Kiss created them. Enough said.
"Christine Sixteen" a song sang by an adult male about a hottie sixteen year old....hmmm. Creepy? Not then it wasn't. Now would have been a different story. The cheesy little piano riff is kinda silly but this is another Kiss classic.
"I Got Love For Sale" Love Gun starts off with three Gene Simmons' tunes in a row and that's kinda off-balancing. This song sounds eerily reminiscent of so many other previous Kiss tunes (and future ones too). Cool Ace riff and solo. A rocker of a lesser degree.
"Shock Me" Ace's first turn at the microphone. His voice might have been an acquired taste. This tune sounds a bit formulaic and stiff. Ace sounds very uncomfortable singing here. Still a great Kiss tune, cool riffs, and catchy hooks, there's an underlying tone here that you can't help but notice.
"Tomorrow And Tonight" Basic rock and roll, that's what this tune is. Maybe a little bland in the fact that it sounds familiar. By Love Gun the Kiss sound was firmly laid down in concrete and that might have brought a few tunes down because they sounded too similar to other songs that Kiss had already come out with.
"Love Gun" Trashy rock and roll. Great. Did Kiss invent the sexual innuendo? No, but they created a whole genre of hard rock using them. Love Gun is another word for . . . well...you know... and Kiss definitely had their share of women vying to become the holsters for their Love Guns. Dig it. This is where Motley Crue was born from. Great, rocking tune.
"Hooligan" Peter Criss had hit the jackpot with "Beth" then "Hard Luck Woman" and it was time for another payoff. Unfortunately "Hooligan" wasn't it. A cool little song with very cheesy lyrics, Kiss was pushing way too hard with this one.
"Almost Human" Great tune. Gene Simmons had to have the dark, weird songs and this is one of them. Where "God Of Thunbder" had come before, "Almost Human" followed. Eerie and shifty, it was a strange, experimental sound for Kiss.
"Plaster Caster" In the early to mid seventies there was a particular groupie that went around making plaster casts of certain rock stars she had diddled. Kiss was on her list and she took a little momento from each of the boys in makeup. A Kiss staple and another sexual innuendo song. Classic.
"Then She Kissed Me" Many felt that this retooled 50's tune was a miscue for Kiss, but I think it's better than "Hooligan" at least. Nothing special, the boys in Kiss had to take a stab at a cover sooner or later. Not entirely awful, just not that good, either.
Overall, Love Gun is the end of an era. Though their next studio album would be called Dynasty, this is where the Dynasty truly ended. From here on out, things in the Kiss camp start to fall apart.
Dig it! | 2 | positive | [
"Although there are a few flubs on Love Gun, it is truly the last great Kiss album.",
"Not entirely perfect, Love Gun is Kiss at the peak of their popularity.",
"The legendary live show that would spawn the awesome Alive II came from the Love Gun tour.",
"All bands peak, and Love Gun is the point where the monster that Kiss had become would begin to spring leaks and take on water afterwards.",
"\"I Stole Your Love\" a Kiss classic and a live staple.",
"Simple, straight-up rock anthem.",
"Kiss created them.",
"Enough said.",
"\"Christine Sixteen\" a song sang by an adult male about a hottie sixteen year old....",
"hmmm.",
"Creepy?",
"Not then it wasn't.",
"Now would have been a different story.",
"The cheesy little piano riff is kinda silly but this is another Kiss classic.",
"\"I Got Love For Sale\" Love Gun starts off with three Gene Simmons' tunes in a row and that's kinda off-balancing.",
"This song sounds eerily reminiscent of so many other previous Kiss tunes (and future ones too).",
"Cool Ace riff and solo.",
"A rocker of a lesser degree.",
"\"Shock Me\" Ace's first turn at the microphone.",
"His voice might have been an acquired taste.",
"This tune sounds a bit formulaic and stiff.",
"Ace sounds very uncomfortable singing here.",
"Still a great Kiss tune, cool riffs, and catchy hooks, there's an underlying tone here that you can't help but notice.",
"\"Tomorrow And Tonight\" Basic rock and roll, that's what this tune is.",
"Maybe a little bland in the fact that it sounds familiar.",
"By Love Gun the Kiss sound was firmly laid down in concrete and that might have brought a few tunes down because they sounded too similar to other songs that Kiss had already come out with.",
"\"Love Gun\" Trashy rock and roll.",
"Great.",
"Did Kiss invent the sexual innuendo?",
"No, but they created a whole genre of hard rock using them.",
"Love Gun is another word for.",
".",
".",
"well...",
"you know...",
"and Kiss definitely had their share of women vying to become the holsters for their Love Guns.",
"Dig it.",
"This is where Motley Crue was born from.",
"Great, rocking tune.",
"\"Hooligan\" Peter Criss had hit the jackpot with \"Beth\" then \"Hard Luck Woman\" and it was time for another payoff.",
"Unfortunately \"Hooligan\" wasn't it.",
"A cool little song with very cheesy lyrics, Kiss was pushing way too hard with this one.",
"\"Almost Human\" Great tune.",
"Gene Simmons had to have the dark, weird songs and this is one of them.",
"Where \"God Of Thunbder\" had come before, \"Almost Human\" followed.",
"Eerie and shifty, it was a strange, experimental sound for Kiss.",
"\"Plaster Caster\" In the early to mid seventies there was a particular groupie that went around making plaster casts of certain rock stars she had diddled.",
"Kiss was on her list and she took a little momento from each of the boys in makeup.",
"A Kiss staple and another sexual innuendo song.",
"Classic.",
"\"Then She Kissed Me\" Many felt that this retooled 50's tune was a miscue for Kiss, but I think it's better than \"Hooligan\" at least.",
"Nothing special, the boys in Kiss had to take a stab at a cover sooner or later.",
"Not entirely awful, just not that good, either.",
"Overall, Love Gun is the end of an era.",
"Though their next studio album would be called Dynasty, this is where the Dynasty truly ended.",
"From here on out, things in the Kiss camp start to fall apart.",
"Dig it!"
] |
1. Do You Want Me
2. Push It
3. Expression
4. Independent - (with Sybil)
5. Shake Your Thang - (with E. U.)
6. Let's Talk About Sex
7. Tramp
8. My Mic Sounds Nice
9. I'll Take Your Man
10. Get Up Everybody (Get Up) | 2 | positive | [
"1.",
"Do You Want Me\n\n2.",
"Push It\n\n3.",
"Expression\n\n4.",
"Independent - (with Sybil)\n\n5.",
"Shake Your Thang - (with E.",
"U.",
")\n\n6.",
"Let's Talk About Sex\n\n7.",
"Tramp\n\n8.",
"My Mic Sounds Nice\n\n9.",
"I'll Take Your Man\n\n10.",
"Get Up Everybody (Get Up)"
] |
Sentimental as this may seem the recent passing of Marvin Isley set me to bring out this CD that I baught twelve years ago and have listened to maybe twice since that time. Having been used to the some of the Isley's 70's music and having not heard their transitional material up to this point,this albums sound was a little shocking at the time. And it was actually something of a new sound for them. Any of those familiar with their often forgotton previous album <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Real-Deal/dp/B000PUB234/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Real Deal</a> had actually dabbled in some new production elements while staying true to their 70's 3+3 sound the same as their first few 80's recordings had. Chris Jasper had a very strong play in this album in general and the result,being a keyboardist all too familiar with the world of electronics he basically just bumps that element in the music a great deal. In fact if it weren't for the strong presense of Ernie Isley's guitar solos this album would've actually sound mostly like the work of a multi-instrumentalist even though it wasn't. Overall this album has a pretty contemporary flavor for it's era but there are some elements and even distinct songs that still maintain their distinctive 3+3 sound. Basically Chris Jasper and the two elder Isley's Kelly and Rudy weren't exactly getting along as it seemed their presence in the recording process was somewhat relagated to backround vocals as Ron took the main leads. Well this album didn't change that but all the same the vocal backrounds are important to this album,as is the fact Chris Jasper and Ron share a good number of the leads as well. The album starts out with two ballads in "Choosey Lover" and "Touch Me". Not bad slow jams but the REAL meat comes with the title track,"I Need Your Body" and "Let's Make Love Tonight",three seductive electronic soul/funk in the vein of <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Sexual-Healing/dp/B000JJ4VHK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Sexual Healing</a> with the mild Calypso flavored rhythm of the song as well. Even still Jasper's distinct touch on synthesizer on these tunes,which kind of flow together like a mini funk suite make them very distinctly Isley Brothers. After that the album,on what would've been Side B on the original vinyl or cassette tape really takes on a more diverse tone. "Ballad For The Fallen Solider" is one of the most powerful tunes on the album,a well produced rock n soul tune that tells the tale of a man recounting how his father went missing in action whilst fighting in Vietnam and even calling his congressman gets him nowhere. "Slow Down Children" is the one tune on this album with a decidely Isley 70's flavor,with that big bubbly synthesizer of Jasper,the slow crawling funk rhythm and the Isley's throaty harmonies dominating the production. The last three cuts in contrast are the most modern. "Way Out Love" and the near instrumental,vocorder heavy "Rock You Good" both strongly showcase the early hip-hop/electro funk sound and although I am not sure I'd bet along with the title track these songs are probably very heavily sampled by hip-hop/scratch/electronic samplers. If they aren't they probably should be because their sound was influencial on much of that. "Gettin Over" is more of a new wave styled electro/dance tune which showcases the Isley's moving forward into the 80's with rock and not just R&B because,considering their place in the music's history they just saw how rock,R&B,soul,blues,funk and hip-hop all kind of bled together after a point. Even if this album marked the end of the Isley's acclaimed 3+3 lineup this found them on something of a commercial upswing. Not only that but they did so by continuing their long tradition of adapting their own sound to the new musical generation without losing their identity. | 2 | positive | [
"Sentimental as this may seem the recent passing of Marvin Isley set me to bring out this CD that I baught twelve years ago and have listened to maybe twice since that time.",
"Having been used to the some of the Isley's 70's music and having not heard their transitional material up to this point,this albums sound was a little shocking at the time.",
"And it was actually something of a new sound for them.",
"Any of those familiar with their often forgotton previous album <a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/The-Real-Deal/dp/B000PUB234/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">The Real Deal</a> had actually dabbled in some new production elements while staying true to their 70's 3+3 sound the same as their first few 80's recordings had.",
"Chris Jasper had a very strong play in this album in general and the result,being a keyboardist all too familiar with the world of electronics he basically just bumps that element in the music a great deal.",
"In fact if it weren't for the strong presense of Ernie Isley's guitar solos this album would've actually sound mostly like the work of a multi-instrumentalist even though it wasn't.",
"Overall this album has a pretty contemporary flavor for it's era but there are some elements and even distinct songs that still maintain their distinctive 3+3 sound.",
"Basically Chris Jasper and the two elder Isley's Kelly and Rudy weren't exactly getting along as it seemed their presence in the recording process was somewhat relagated to backround vocals as Ron took the main leads.",
"Well this album didn't change that but all the same the vocal backrounds are important to this album,as is the fact Chris Jasper and Ron share a good number of the leads as well.",
"The album starts out with two ballads in \"Choosey Lover\" and \"Touch Me\".",
"Not bad slow jams but the REAL meat comes with the title track,\"I Need Your Body\" and \"Let's Make Love Tonight\",three seductive electronic soul/funk in the vein of <a data-hook=\"product-link-linked\" class=\"a-link-normal\" href=\"/Sexual-Healing/dp/B000JJ4VHK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?",
"ie=UTF8\">Sexual Healing</a> with the mild Calypso flavored rhythm of the song as well.",
"Even still Jasper's distinct touch on synthesizer on these tunes,which kind of flow together like a mini funk suite make them very distinctly Isley Brothers.",
"After that the album,on what would've been Side B on the original vinyl or cassette tape really takes on a more diverse tone.",
"\"Ballad For The Fallen Solider\" is one of the most powerful tunes on the album,a well produced rock n soul tune that tells the tale of a man recounting how his father went missing in action whilst fighting in Vietnam and even calling his congressman gets him nowhere.",
"\"Slow Down Children\" is the one tune on this album with a decidely Isley 70's flavor,with that big bubbly synthesizer of Jasper,the slow crawling funk rhythm and the Isley's throaty harmonies dominating the production.",
"The last three cuts in contrast are the most modern.",
"\"Way Out Love\" and the near instrumental,vocorder heavy \"Rock You Good\" both strongly showcase the early hip-hop/electro funk sound and although I am not sure I'd bet along with the title track these songs are probably very heavily sampled by hip-hop/scratch/electronic samplers.",
"If they aren't they probably should be because their sound was influencial on much of that.",
"\"Gettin Over\" is more of a new wave styled electro/dance tune which showcases the Isley's moving forward into the 80's with rock and not just R&B because,considering their place in the music's history they just saw how rock,R&B,soul,blues,funk and hip-hop all kind of bled together after a point.",
"Even if this album marked the end of the Isley's acclaimed 3+3 lineup this found them on something of a commercial upswing.",
"Not only that but they did so by continuing their long tradition of adapting their own sound to the new musical generation without losing their identity."
] |
I remember when this movie first came out that critics were saying "How can a good book and good actor make a bad movie? Watch this movie and find out.". What do critics know. I found this movie thouroughly enjoyable. There were so many possible suspects and so many twists and turns that pretty soon you didn't know who possibly did it. Now, this wasn't even as good as the book was, but that's pretty much typical. Theres too much in a book to get it all in the movie and have it all make sense (those who read the book will understand, especially one of the characters in the movie from the book). But they did a good job in this movie with what they did do.
How good book and good actor make a good movie. Watch this and find out. | 2 | positive | [
"I remember when this movie first came out that critics were saying \"How can a good book and good actor make a bad movie?",
"Watch this movie and find out.",
"\".",
"What do critics know.",
"I found this movie thouroughly enjoyable.",
"There were so many possible suspects and so many twists and turns that pretty soon you didn't know who possibly did it.",
"Now, this wasn't even as good as the book was, but that's pretty much typical.",
"Theres too much in a book to get it all in the movie and have it all make sense (those who read the book will understand, especially one of the characters in the movie from the book).",
"But they did a good job in this movie with what they did do.",
"How good book and good actor make a good movie.",
"Watch this and find out."
] |
This paper shredder from the folks at Fellowes is a compact shredder designed for smaller business offices and home- based businesses. The motor on this unit is powerful and it only needs occasional lubricating. The blades can cut through paper, credit cards, paper clips, and staples.
The width of the paper feed on this device is only 9 inches, so if you have a piece of paper that is larger you will have to fold it in half first or cut it, in order to feed into the shredder. If a jam- up occurs, all you have to do is flick the switch to the reverse setting and the item will pop back out.
Because this shredder cuts in a criss- cross pattern, there is added security against theft. This is particularly important for those businesses who deal with documents that include Social Security numbers and credit card numbers on a consistent basis. The paper is cut down to pieces measuring only 1 and 3/8 by 5/32 inches. This is small enough that there should be no further worries about anyone piecing together the paper. It would be more frustrating than it's worth.
This shredder is fine for smaller loads, but for larger offices, it is impractical. It will overheat if used too much. Businesses that have a larger load will need a larger shredder. But for smaller offices, this shredder is one of the best on the market, easily worth the price you pay for it. | 2 | positive | [
"This paper shredder from the folks at Fellowes is a compact shredder designed for smaller business offices and home- based businesses.",
"The motor on this unit is powerful and it only needs occasional lubricating.",
"The blades can cut through paper, credit cards, paper clips, and staples.",
"The width of the paper feed on this device is only 9 inches, so if you have a piece of paper that is larger you will have to fold it in half first or cut it, in order to feed into the shredder.",
"If a jam- up occurs, all you have to do is flick the switch to the reverse setting and the item will pop back out.",
"Because this shredder cuts in a criss- cross pattern, there is added security against theft.",
"This is particularly important for those businesses who deal with documents that include Social Security numbers and credit card numbers on a consistent basis.",
"The paper is cut down to pieces measuring only 1 and 3/8 by 5/32 inches.",
"This is small enough that there should be no further worries about anyone piecing together the paper.",
"It would be more frustrating than it's worth.",
"This shredder is fine for smaller loads, but for larger offices, it is impractical.",
"It will overheat if used too much.",
"Businesses that have a larger load will need a larger shredder.",
"But for smaller offices, this shredder is one of the best on the market, easily worth the price you pay for it."
] |
This concerns the kindle edition.
I have been reading the Tolkein trilogy since it appeared in the US in 1965. When I got my kindle, this was one of the first books I purchased. I also have the all-in-one print volume, and although it was cheaper, I did not enjoy reading it. The book was simply too big and too heavy. But with a kindle, that doesn't matter. I have several paperback sets, and one hard cover set, a present to myself several years ago.
As for the books themselves, I read or listen to them a few times a year, even now. I view them as some of the most influential books of the 20th century. A good read doesn't begin to describe it. It is a masterpiece. | 2 | positive | [
"This concerns the kindle edition.",
"I have been reading the Tolkein trilogy since it appeared in the US in 1965.",
"When I got my kindle, this was one of the first books I purchased.",
"I also have the all-in-one print volume, and although it was cheaper, I did not enjoy reading it.",
"The book was simply too big and too heavy.",
"But with a kindle, that doesn't matter.",
"I have several paperback sets, and one hard cover set, a present to myself several years ago.",
"As for the books themselves, I read or listen to them a few times a year, even now.",
"I view them as some of the most influential books of the 20th century.",
"A good read doesn't begin to describe it.",
"It is a masterpiece."
] |
These traps work really well. It was the only way we got rid of a very bad mole infestation. Our son is a wildlife biologist and he recommended these traps over others on the market. He also recommended using gloves when handling the traps and when putting these in as the moles can smell the human sent and they will tunnel right around them if they do. The other thing he showed us was how to install them that is much easier than the directions. We simply step on the tunnel where we will put this and just rock the trap back and forth to straddle the tunnel until it's down in the ground. That way you don't dig anything up and you don't have to worry about light getting. If light gets in, the mole may not go there to repair the tunnel since they hate light so much. But doing it this way, when the mole comes along to repair the tunnel since it was smashed down, it meets it's demise. I recommend getting several of these traps so that you can put some in several places. It's not always easy to tell what is the main tunnel and what is a feeder tunnel. If you get this on a feeder tunnel you might not get the mole. Nice thing about these, if you bring them in out of the weather when you are done with them, they will last indefinitely. | 2 | positive | [
"These traps work really well.",
"It was the only way we got rid of a very bad mole infestation.",
"Our son is a wildlife biologist and he recommended these traps over others on the market.",
"He also recommended using gloves when handling the traps and when putting these in as the moles can smell the human sent and they will tunnel right around them if they do.",
"The other thing he showed us was how to install them that is much easier than the directions.",
"We simply step on the tunnel where we will put this and just rock the trap back and forth to straddle the tunnel until it's down in the ground.",
"That way you don't dig anything up and you don't have to worry about light getting.",
"If light gets in, the mole may not go there to repair the tunnel since they hate light so much.",
"But doing it this way, when the mole comes along to repair the tunnel since it was smashed down, it meets it's demise.",
"I recommend getting several of these traps so that you can put some in several places.",
"It's not always easy to tell what is the main tunnel and what is a feeder tunnel.",
"If you get this on a feeder tunnel you might not get the mole.",
"Nice thing about these, if you bring them in out of the weather when you are done with them, they will last indefinitely."
] |
I bought this drill to get into places that my large Milwaukee right angle drill can not fit into while installing an electrical system and plumbing in what was previously an Amish farm house. This is an excellent tool. It is quiet and powerful. The variable speed is a great safety factor, when boring large holes with auger style drill bits in wood that just might contain nails you don't want to be drilling full speed when the inevitable nail is found, that can be very hard on the wrist.
This drill is a very compact yet very powerful tool. I will push a " auger style bit thru 2x lumber like a hot knife thru butter. The angle of the handle makes it easy to apply straight line force to the drill bit when needed and the infinitely adjustable front handle is quickly adjusted or removed for clearance in tight locations. I prefer the old fashioned geared chuck on a " drill, this tool has one and it works great, allowing you to really clamp down on the drill bit. This is a factory rebuilt tool that looks and works like a brand new drill. I don't know what you could do to make this tool any better.
This drill meets all my expectations as a high quality industrial tool. I think it is a very good value for the money spent. I paid $56 for a factory rebuilt, shipped to my door. | 2 | positive | [
"I bought this drill to get into places that my large Milwaukee right angle drill can not fit into while installing an electrical system and plumbing in what was previously an Amish farm house.",
"This is an excellent tool.",
"It is quiet and powerful.",
"The variable speed is a great safety factor, when boring large holes with auger style drill bits in wood that just might contain nails you don't want to be drilling full speed when the inevitable nail is found, that can be very hard on the wrist.",
"This drill is a very compact yet very powerful tool.",
"I will push a \" auger style bit thru 2x lumber like a hot knife thru butter.",
"The angle of the handle makes it easy to apply straight line force to the drill bit when needed and the infinitely adjustable front handle is quickly adjusted or removed for clearance in tight locations.",
"I prefer the old fashioned geared chuck on a \" drill, this tool has one and it works great, allowing you to really clamp down on the drill bit.",
"This is a factory rebuilt tool that looks and works like a brand new drill.",
"I don't know what you could do to make this tool any better.",
"This drill meets all my expectations as a high quality industrial tool.",
"I think it is a very good value for the money spent.",
"I paid $56 for a factory rebuilt, shipped to my door."
] |
After our second major lightning strike in less than a year, I decided to buy top notch surge protectors for all my electronics. After reviewing several brands and models, I decided on two of the Tripp Lite and two Belkins. I chose the Tripp Lite because of its on/off switch, although I found out after they finally arrived that the Belkins do have a power switch on the end. The units are made of high quality plastics and the recepticles have individual covers to keep the dust and dirt out. A nice feature, and one they should have applied to the phone and ethernet jacks as well as they are harder to clean. The unit comes with a nice long heavy duty cord. The models I recieved had the flat angled plug on the end, and personally I think they are a nuisance. The Tripp Lite 810NET will protect all of your electronic devices and connections. Besides power, the unit has a phone jack set, an ethernet RJ45 jack set, and a coax connector set. So no matter how you connect, your covered with these units. Installation was simple and no different than a regular power strip. The units I purchased and recieved were supposed to come with all the cables, IE: A 5' Cat 5 Patch Cable, a 5' Coax Patch Cable and a 5' phone line. Someone stole the Cat 5 cable from one, and the Coax cable for the other. My only other beef was that it took 4 weeks to get the items. Now I did select free shipping, and both the Belkins and Tripp Lite were both stocked, sold and shipped by Amazon at the time. It was a little over 2 weeks before I even got my shipping notice. Even for free shipping, this was poor service. | 2 | positive | [
"After our second major lightning strike in less than a year, I decided to buy top notch surge protectors for all my electronics.",
"After reviewing several brands and models, I decided on two of the Tripp Lite and two Belkins.",
"I chose the Tripp Lite because of its on/off switch, although I found out after they finally arrived that the Belkins do have a power switch on the end.",
"The units are made of high quality plastics and the recepticles have individual covers to keep the dust and dirt out.",
"A nice feature, and one they should have applied to the phone and ethernet jacks as well as they are harder to clean.",
"The unit comes with a nice long heavy duty cord.",
"The models I recieved had the flat angled plug on the end, and personally I think they are a nuisance.",
"The Tripp Lite 810NET will protect all of your electronic devices and connections.",
"Besides power, the unit has a phone jack set, an ethernet RJ45 jack set, and a coax connector set.",
"So no matter how you connect, your covered with these units.",
"Installation was simple and no different than a regular power strip.",
"The units I purchased and recieved were supposed to come with all the cables, IE: A 5' Cat 5 Patch Cable, a 5' Coax Patch Cable and a 5' phone line.",
"Someone stole the Cat 5 cable from one, and the Coax cable for the other.",
"My only other beef was that it took 4 weeks to get the items.",
"Now I did select free shipping, and both the Belkins and Tripp Lite were both stocked, sold and shipped by Amazon at the time.",
"It was a little over 2 weeks before I even got my shipping notice.",
"Even for free shipping, this was poor service."
] |
I've barely even scratched the surface of Tom Waits' music, but from the three albums of his I've been lucky enough to hear, I know that the man is truly an original in the musical world. There is some Dylan, some Beefheart, some Nick Cave in there - but not really, because Tom Waits can never be mistaken for anybody else. He's a primitivist in the truest sense of the word - his musical and lyrical voice evokes an ancient wisdom with its jarring and primal diametrical phrases that cut straight to the bone. When we hear "Earth Died Screaming," we know that Waits is serious, and his vision of the apocalypse is drenched in the biblical imagery of sickness and decay. Fellow dark prince Nick Cave may know the lingo, but ultimately he is an historian who can cleverly reference ancient literature and religion, whereas Tom Waits has the voice of an ancient prophet. That may explain why his status as a pop-culture icon is sort of a "hobo guru." There's something genuinely mystical about him.
"Bone Machine," Tom Waits' blisteringly weird little epic of clangs, twangs, and grumbles, was a powerful way for the master to enter his third decade of recording. Some of it seems a bit disorganized, and some of the songs are out of place being on this album (and those are kind of a part of what makes Tom Waits' albums so cool), but there's no such thing as a throwaway here. The melodies are strong, the lyrics are fantastic, the themes are steady and powerful, and the presentation is truly unique; the grotesque, sometimes bone-chilling percussive clangs of Waits 'bones' players are sounds that have rarely been heard before on a rock record. It's an aggressively experimental approach that manages to avoid sounding elitist at all - in fact, I'd say that in a totally whacked way, this is kind of accessible. Who can say that "Murder in the Red Barn" isn't catchy? It's a great little story-song with a Chaucerian barnyard allegory of man's violent nature, cycling around and around the "murder in the red barn" chorus with the bones bong-bonging away and sharp twangs of the steel-stringed guitar. "I don't wanna grow up" is avant-garde balladry, if there is such a thing - there's a static scratch in the background and Waits growls more painfully than ever, but he strums the chords and delivers his cry of fear against the wickedness of adulthood in such a heartfelt way that it's become the most popular song on the album. It's the same twisted logic that makes this such a fun listen. It's diverse, brave, gruesomely funny, strange, and unforgettable.
"Earth Died Screaming," "Dirt in the Ground," "Black Wings," "Goin out West," "In the Colosseum," and "Such a Scream" are other standout tracks. | 2 | positive | [
"I've barely even scratched the surface of Tom Waits' music, but from the three albums of his I've been lucky enough to hear, I know that the man is truly an original in the musical world.",
"There is some Dylan, some Beefheart, some Nick Cave in there - but not really, because Tom Waits can never be mistaken for anybody else.",
"He's a primitivist in the truest sense of the word - his musical and lyrical voice evokes an ancient wisdom with its jarring and primal diametrical phrases that cut straight to the bone.",
"When we hear \"Earth Died Screaming,\" we know that Waits is serious, and his vision of the apocalypse is drenched in the biblical imagery of sickness and decay.",
"Fellow dark prince Nick Cave may know the lingo, but ultimately he is an historian who can cleverly reference ancient literature and religion, whereas Tom Waits has the voice of an ancient prophet.",
"That may explain why his status as a pop-culture icon is sort of a \"hobo guru.",
"\" There's something genuinely mystical about him.",
"\"Bone Machine,\" Tom Waits' blisteringly weird little epic of clangs, twangs, and grumbles, was a powerful way for the master to enter his third decade of recording.",
"Some of it seems a bit disorganized, and some of the songs are out of place being on this album (and those are kind of a part of what makes Tom Waits' albums so cool), but there's no such thing as a throwaway here.",
"The melodies are strong, the lyrics are fantastic, the themes are steady and powerful, and the presentation is truly unique; the grotesque, sometimes bone-chilling percussive clangs of Waits 'bones' players are sounds that have rarely been heard before on a rock record.",
"It's an aggressively experimental approach that manages to avoid sounding elitist at all - in fact, I'd say that in a totally whacked way, this is kind of accessible.",
"Who can say that \"Murder in the Red Barn\" isn't catchy?",
"It's a great little story-song with a Chaucerian barnyard allegory of man's violent nature, cycling around and around the \"murder in the red barn\" chorus with the bones bong-bonging away and sharp twangs of the steel-stringed guitar.",
"\"I don't wanna grow up\" is avant-garde balladry, if there is such a thing - there's a static scratch in the background and Waits growls more painfully than ever, but he strums the chords and delivers his cry of fear against the wickedness of adulthood in such a heartfelt way that it's become the most popular song on the album.",
"It's the same twisted logic that makes this such a fun listen.",
"It's diverse, brave, gruesomely funny, strange, and unforgettable.",
"\"Earth Died Screaming,\" \"Dirt in the Ground,\" \"Black Wings,\" \"Goin out West,\" \"In the Colosseum,\" and \"Such a Scream\" are other standout tracks."
] |
I have a bunch of these in my office; I guess that's what they ordered when getting red felt-tip pens. So I didn't have any control over the choice of pen, but I'm happy with the performance.
I use these mostly on draft documents. I am one of those people who much prefers to edit and proofread on paper -- I just catch things I missed on my monitor. Most of our documents (I work at a patent law firm) are 1.5 spaced, so even though this has a wider tip than a regular ballpoint pen, I'm able to write plenty of notes and make corrections and still be able to read everything. I sometimes also use these to underline important passages in printed patents. I like the red better than blue or black because it's easier to see small corrections (i.e., new commas) when typing them into electronic documents. The ink doesn't bleed through paper but instead stays only on the page on which you're writing.
I feel like these last a long time. I've never started a new one and actually timed how long it lasted, but the few on my desk have been working for months with daily use. I haven't had to throw one out in a long time. And I like that the clip part in the cap is metal -- I fiddle with these a lot as I read, and I haven't been able to bend or break one of the clips (plastic clips on other pens are another story entirely). | 2 | positive | [
"I have a bunch of these in my office; I guess that's what they ordered when getting red felt-tip pens.",
"So I didn't have any control over the choice of pen, but I'm happy with the performance.",
"I use these mostly on draft documents.",
"I am one of those people who much prefers to edit and proofread on paper -- I just catch things I missed on my monitor.",
"Most of our documents (I work at a patent law firm) are 1.",
"5 spaced, so even though this has a wider tip than a regular ballpoint pen, I'm able to write plenty of notes and make corrections and still be able to read everything.",
"I sometimes also use these to underline important passages in printed patents.",
"I like the red better than blue or black because it's easier to see small corrections (i.",
"e., new commas) when typing them into electronic documents.",
"The ink doesn't bleed through paper but instead stays only on the page on which you're writing.",
"I feel like these last a long time.",
"I've never started a new one and actually timed how long it lasted, but the few on my desk have been working for months with daily use.",
"I haven't had to throw one out in a long time.",
"And I like that the clip part in the cap is metal -- I fiddle with these a lot as I read, and I haven't been able to bend or break one of the clips (plastic clips on other pens are another story entirely)."
] |
I've owned the Wii for about 6 months now and I wouldn't trade it for a 360 or PS3 for anything. I love the way that the controllers make every game more interactive. I've yet to play anything that didn't play better, or was at least more satisfying, when I played it standing on my feet.
And those same controls have already sucked in several family members who wouldn't otherwise dream of playing a video game. But they all love the Wii.
Definitely, there's been a dearth of decent games (particularly those that really take good advantage of the controller). But there have been enough to tide me and my Wii-lovin' 5-year-old over until we get some goodies later this year. My X-mas list is already locked in at a single item: Guitar Hero 3.
If you've got a family, or if you're just tired of the same-old-same-old in console gaming, get yourself a Wii. You won't regret it. | 2 | positive | [
"I've owned the Wii for about 6 months now and I wouldn't trade it for a 360 or PS3 for anything.",
"I love the way that the controllers make every game more interactive.",
"I've yet to play anything that didn't play better, or was at least more satisfying, when I played it standing on my feet.",
"And those same controls have already sucked in several family members who wouldn't otherwise dream of playing a video game.",
"But they all love the Wii.",
"Definitely, there's been a dearth of decent games (particularly those that really take good advantage of the controller).",
"But there have been enough to tide me and my Wii-lovin' 5-year-old over until we get some goodies later this year.",
"My X-mas list is already locked in at a single item: Guitar Hero 3.",
"If you've got a family, or if you're just tired of the same-old-same-old in console gaming, get yourself a Wii.",
"You won't regret it."
] |
The other reviewers below have already told you about the story etc, so here just a quick down and dirty from my point of view:
Play this game, it's a lot of fun. Fighting the Hydra right in the beginning was awesome. This game has been keeping me awake for the last 3 nights. However, there are a few things on the negative side as well. They pushed the PS2 and it shows, while the graphics are great, the game, especially the sound, shudders occasionally and it seems the voice actors stu-stu-studder. While fun, the game has a repetitive nature, so if the button mashing thing is for you, you're all set. There is some strategy involved in how to defeat the different monsters. Some people have said that the fighting system is a bit weak, however that is actually a plus for me personally. I don't want to have to remember specific button combinations to win. God of War makes it easy to beat the crap out of the enemies, even if you don't remember all the different button combinations, which is a good thing in my book. If this sounds negative, don't worry, you'll have a blast playing it. It's one of the best action games out there, better than Devil May Cry for sure.
Henning Thiel | 2 | positive | [
"The other reviewers below have already told you about the story etc, so here just a quick down and dirty from my point of view:\n\nPlay this game, it's a lot of fun.",
"Fighting the Hydra right in the beginning was awesome.",
"This game has been keeping me awake for the last 3 nights.",
"However, there are a few things on the negative side as well.",
"They pushed the PS2 and it shows, while the graphics are great, the game, especially the sound, shudders occasionally and it seems the voice actors stu-stu-studder.",
"While fun, the game has a repetitive nature, so if the button mashing thing is for you, you're all set.",
"There is some strategy involved in how to defeat the different monsters.",
"Some people have said that the fighting system is a bit weak, however that is actually a plus for me personally.",
"I don't want to have to remember specific button combinations to win.",
"God of War makes it easy to beat the crap out of the enemies, even if you don't remember all the different button combinations, which is a good thing in my book.",
"If this sounds negative, don't worry, you'll have a blast playing it.",
"It's one of the best action games out there, better than Devil May Cry for sure.",
"Henning Thiel"
] |
The cookie jar is decently made, nice thick blue plastic, not painted. The cookies are solid plastic, don't bend or hold water. Numbers are clearly printed 1-10. My son loves this toy. He carries it around all over the house. And he uses the jar to count other things as well. (Whatever is lying around mostly) Bought it for his third birthday.
There is another jar, mechanical one, that counts the cookies when you put them in, and says commands like which numbers to put in the jar. My son has one in his class at school, and enjoys it. But this toy leaves more room for self exploration, and becomes a multi use toy in the end. Plus.... no batteries!
2014: all three of my kids are still enjoying this toy. I have to say it has taken a lot of abuse over the years, but it is still in one piece! | 2 | positive | [
"The cookie jar is decently made, nice thick blue plastic, not painted.",
"The cookies are solid plastic, don't bend or hold water.",
"Numbers are clearly printed 1-10.",
"My son loves this toy.",
"He carries it around all over the house.",
"And he uses the jar to count other things as well.",
"(Whatever is lying around mostly) Bought it for his third birthday.",
"There is another jar, mechanical one, that counts the cookies when you put them in, and says commands like which numbers to put in the jar.",
"My son has one in his class at school, and enjoys it.",
"But this toy leaves more room for self exploration, and becomes a multi use toy in the end.",
"Plus....",
"no batteries!",
"2014: all three of my kids are still enjoying this toy.",
"I have to say it has taken a lot of abuse over the years, but it is still in one piece!"
] |
I first played this game at a friend's house during a fairly large get together. All of us took turns playing against each other and also the guitar/bass combo. I was instantly hooked! The main songs in the game are okay though they are all covers of their original bands. I think the real meat of the game is in unlocking all of the bonus tracks. I easily purchased all of the bonus tracks after playing through all of the songs on the medium difficulty level. Generally, most of the bonus tracks are great and the guitar/vocals are spot on since they aren't covers. The learning difficulty of this game can be pretty steep unless you play this game on a regular basis (like "practicing" guitar). I have a co-worker that plays the real guitar and he picked up this game extremely quickly. He mentioned that the hammer-ons and pull offs are similar to how they are executed on a real guitar. I heard there's an 80s rock version that might come out soon. I can't wait! Highly recommended for people of all ages. | 2 | positive | [
"I first played this game at a friend's house during a fairly large get together.",
"All of us took turns playing against each other and also the guitar/bass combo.",
"I was instantly hooked!",
"The main songs in the game are okay though they are all covers of their original bands.",
"I think the real meat of the game is in unlocking all of the bonus tracks.",
"I easily purchased all of the bonus tracks after playing through all of the songs on the medium difficulty level.",
"Generally, most of the bonus tracks are great and the guitar/vocals are spot on since they aren't covers.",
"The learning difficulty of this game can be pretty steep unless you play this game on a regular basis (like \"practicing\" guitar).",
"I have a co-worker that plays the real guitar and he picked up this game extremely quickly.",
"He mentioned that the hammer-ons and pull offs are similar to how they are executed on a real guitar.",
"I heard there's an 80s rock version that might come out soon.",
"I can't wait!",
"Highly recommended for people of all ages."
] |
Well, we all know how hard it is to find THAT combination in anything but there are those rare times when you get all three in one fantastic package. This is one of them. I bake about twenty loaves of bread and six pizzas every week and for a while I was relying on bread machines to mix up my dough. Unfortunately, the sturdiness of most bread machines just isn't what it used to be.
Finally, after dispensing with three different bread machines last year, I (the ultimate slow learner) realized I should probably try the KitchenAid. I was desperate and while reluctant to spend the money at first, decided I'd been 'pennywise' and 'pound foolish' for far too long. The KitchenAid had a great reputation, was awfully pretty to look at, and looked like it might just do what I needed.
In a nutshell, it does. It's everything I could want as far as sturdiness, dependability, and ease of operation. It's easy to clean, mixes up all my dough without a whimper and leaves me with a nice soft dough that ends up being perfectly heavenly tasting bread and pizza. I can't say that I've put it through all its paces as yet, but so far, I'm incredibly pleased. A thoroughly wonderful product. | 2 | positive | [
"Well, we all know how hard it is to find THAT combination in anything but there are those rare times when you get all three in one fantastic package.",
"This is one of them.",
"I bake about twenty loaves of bread and six pizzas every week and for a while I was relying on bread machines to mix up my dough.",
"Unfortunately, the sturdiness of most bread machines just isn't what it used to be.",
"Finally, after dispensing with three different bread machines last year, I (the ultimate slow learner) realized I should probably try the KitchenAid.",
"I was desperate and while reluctant to spend the money at first, decided I'd been 'pennywise' and 'pound foolish' for far too long.",
"The KitchenAid had a great reputation, was awfully pretty to look at, and looked like it might just do what I needed.",
"In a nutshell, it does.",
"It's everything I could want as far as sturdiness, dependability, and ease of operation.",
"It's easy to clean, mixes up all my dough without a whimper and leaves me with a nice soft dough that ends up being perfectly heavenly tasting bread and pizza.",
"I can't say that I've put it through all its paces as yet, but so far, I'm incredibly pleased.",
"A thoroughly wonderful product."
] |
First of all, American Beauty is the best film of 1999. Secondly, Mr. Sam Mendes as its director was so talented in THAT he knew WHAT he wanted the film to come out to be:its directions, its feels and ambience , et al, and also successfully got the best out of those characters in the film via sublime performance rendered by the whole bunch of brilliant cast collectively.
The whole story of American Beauty was told from what the spirit of the dead Lester Burnham ( Kevin Spacey ) had seen through the last year of his life.
In a peaceful suburban neighborhoood where his house was located in, it all began with the depressed feelings for his middle-life crisis; the day-by-day gradual distance kept to each other by him and his once-so-lovely-and-shiny wife, Carolyn Burnham ( Annette Bening ), whose life-long ambition was to be the most successful and respectable residential realtor who was willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING in life just to get there; their ungrateful teen daughter who always blamed on her parents for ruining her life; his own going-nowhere publication job.....
Not only everyone in his house was revolving around his self but also the other two households nearby: the gay couple and the retired US marine Colonel Frank Fitts and his family.
Every character in this film more or less successfully manipulated others' perceptions towards him or her and in return his or her own perception was successfully manipulated, which the film was intended to show how powerful and dangerous SUBJECTIVE perception could negatively affect one' s life.
For instance, the image of Angela Hayes as a chic, fly girl who hated to be perceived as an ordinary, boring one; Carolyn Burnham who always felt the need to project the image of success ( Personally, as a former realtor, I really felt for her as if I were in her shoes in the film ) despite the fact that she was so miserable; Ricky Fitts who' d successfully convinced his pop that he could afford all of his latest hi-tech audio-visual systems in his room with his table-waiting job - Memorable quote: Never underestimate the Power of Denial....; et al.
The film also wisely played with psychological defense mechanisms like displacement, regression, rationalization, etc.
Wrapping it up, the drama-comedy American Beauty realisticly projects and deals with the elements of middle-life crisis, hidden depression, black-mailing, subjective perceptions, shattered dreams and finally the flashback of Lester's best years of his life just in time of his departure.
About the cast: Kevin Spacey, once again, delivered another of his sublime performance as usual; Annette Bening, in my humble opinion, deserves an Oscar-winning tie with Miss Swank of Boys Don' t Cry; Something about the way Wes Bentley looked in this film for 100 % convinced us that he was not acting as Ricky Fitts, rather he WAS Ricky Fitts- Too bad that '99 nominee list of Actor in Supporting Role's traffic are so jammed with great actors with their deserved nomination; Wittiest screenplay with masterful plot twistS and heavenly cinematography, to name a few.
American Beauty is definitely a film that is and will always be a part of viewers' sweet memories and entertaining experience.
Shin P. | 2 | positive | [
"First of all, American Beauty is the best film of 1999.",
"Secondly, Mr.",
"Sam Mendes as its director was so talented in THAT he knew WHAT he wanted the film to come out to be:its directions, its feels and ambience , et al, and also successfully got the best out of those characters in the film via sublime performance rendered by the whole bunch of brilliant cast collectively.",
"The whole story of American Beauty was told from what the spirit of the dead Lester Burnham ( Kevin Spacey ) had seen through the last year of his life.",
"In a peaceful suburban neighborhoood where his house was located in, it all began with the depressed feelings for his middle-life crisis; the day-by-day gradual distance kept to each other by him and his once-so-lovely-and-shiny wife, Carolyn Burnham ( Annette Bening ), whose life-long ambition was to be the most successful and respectable residential realtor who was willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING in life just to get there; their ungrateful teen daughter who always blamed on her parents for ruining her life; his own going-nowhere publication job....",
".",
"Not only everyone in his house was revolving around his self but also the other two households nearby: the gay couple and the retired US marine Colonel Frank Fitts and his family.",
"Every character in this film more or less successfully manipulated others' perceptions towards him or her and in return his or her own perception was successfully manipulated, which the film was intended to show how powerful and dangerous SUBJECTIVE perception could negatively affect one' s life.",
"For instance, the image of Angela Hayes as a chic, fly girl who hated to be perceived as an ordinary, boring one; Carolyn Burnham who always felt the need to project the image of success ( Personally, as a former realtor, I really felt for her as if I were in her shoes in the film ) despite the fact that she was so miserable; Ricky Fitts who' d successfully convinced his pop that he could afford all of his latest hi-tech audio-visual systems in his room with his table-waiting job - Memorable quote: Never underestimate the Power of Denial....",
"; et al.",
"The film also wisely played with psychological defense mechanisms like displacement, regression, rationalization, etc.",
"Wrapping it up, the drama-comedy American Beauty realisticly projects and deals with the elements of middle-life crisis, hidden depression, black-mailing, subjective perceptions, shattered dreams and finally the flashback of Lester's best years of his life just in time of his departure.",
"About the cast: Kevin Spacey, once again, delivered another of his sublime performance as usual; Annette Bening, in my humble opinion, deserves an Oscar-winning tie with Miss Swank of Boys Don' t Cry; Something about the way Wes Bentley looked in this film for 100 % convinced us that he was not acting as Ricky Fitts, rather he WAS Ricky Fitts- Too bad that '99 nominee list of Actor in Supporting Role's traffic are so jammed with great actors with their deserved nomination; Wittiest screenplay with masterful plot twistS and heavenly cinematography, to name a few.",
"American Beauty is definitely a film that is and will always be a part of viewers' sweet memories and entertaining experience.",
"Shin P."
] |
A deeply gory and darker version of the universally popular Gaston Leroux tale. Sands is a perfect choice for the phantom role. (and to think Argento wanted John Malkovitch to play the phantom!) Still, what we have here is an often obscure, confusing and sometimes lethargic movie. Many of the characters fail to have any depth and yes Asia Argento doesn't always seem with it. I liked the idea of the phantoms ugliness being on the inside (as Sands didn't want "cartoon-style make-up" again). The film also contains some eroticism and even the sleazy undertone of paedophilia. Sands' phantom is not all monsterous, he also shows some human emotion and even cries when he sees his beloved Christine find comfort with another man.
Argento's version is very Art-House and won't appeal to everyone, but it is still a great movie worth seeing once, also the soundtrack is wonderful. Overall I think it is one of the better versions available. | 2 | positive | [
"A deeply gory and darker version of the universally popular Gaston Leroux tale.",
"Sands is a perfect choice for the phantom role.",
"(and to think Argento wanted John Malkovitch to play the phantom!",
") Still, what we have here is an often obscure, confusing and sometimes lethargic movie.",
"Many of the characters fail to have any depth and yes Asia Argento doesn't always seem with it.",
"I liked the idea of the phantoms ugliness being on the inside (as Sands didn't want \"cartoon-style make-up\" again).",
"The film also contains some eroticism and even the sleazy undertone of paedophilia.",
"Sands' phantom is not all monsterous, he also shows some human emotion and even cries when he sees his beloved Christine find comfort with another man.",
"Argento's version is very Art-House and won't appeal to everyone, but it is still a great movie worth seeing once, also the soundtrack is wonderful.",
"Overall I think it is one of the better versions available."
] |
Portishead's 1994 debut, "Dummy", is a timeless album that swings from mood to mood(from heartbreakingly dark to teary eyed to slightly optimistic). And implies many styles( rock, jazz, soul, hip hop, gospel, classical) while keeping it consistent and gaspingly beautiful. "Dummy" doesn't even sound like it was recorded in ANY era. It's ahead of it's time while keeping a effective film-noir quality.
The surprise hit "Sour Times" ("No body loves me/ It's true") stills sounds relevant as it did when first released with it's tense delicacy. From the most accessible cut "It Could Be Sweet" to the quaint "Numb"(sampled by R&B singer Ginuwine on his 1996 single "G Thang") to the lithing morose state of "Roads" to the seductive "It's A Fire", every song on "Dummy" is just enwraps you. Every song is beautiful and enticing. No filler or duds.
With Beth Gibbons' soft, delicate vocals (reminisit of Dido meets Sade) and Geoff Barrow's genius (he first got some shine producing Neneh Cherry's underrated classic "Somedays" on N's "Homebrew" project two years prior to this album's release),
"Dummy" proves that it's one of the most influential albums of all-time. "Glory Box" has been heard in several films with it's Issac Hayes sample and slow strings and dozens of Portishead imitators and acts influenced by the group emerged. This album has been duplicated so many times. One of the best albums of the 1990s and one of the best debuts of all-time as well. Timeless (it could have been recorded this year, it's so relevant) and without peer (OK, maybe Esthero and Everything But The Girl!-since both are as high standing as these guys).
You'll be in a new multilayered, multicolored world when you put this disc in. Out of this universe. | 2 | positive | [
"Portishead's 1994 debut, \"Dummy\", is a timeless album that swings from mood to mood(from heartbreakingly dark to teary eyed to slightly optimistic).",
"And implies many styles( rock, jazz, soul, hip hop, gospel, classical) while keeping it consistent and gaspingly beautiful.",
"\"Dummy\" doesn't even sound like it was recorded in ANY era.",
"It's ahead of it's time while keeping a effective film-noir quality.",
"The surprise hit \"Sour Times\" (\"No body loves me/ It's true\") stills sounds relevant as it did when first released with it's tense delicacy.",
"From the most accessible cut \"It Could Be Sweet\" to the quaint \"Numb\"(sampled by R&B singer Ginuwine on his 1996 single \"G Thang\") to the lithing morose state of \"Roads\" to the seductive \"It's A Fire\", every song on \"Dummy\" is just enwraps you.",
"Every song is beautiful and enticing.",
"No filler or duds.",
"With Beth Gibbons' soft, delicate vocals (reminisit of Dido meets Sade) and Geoff Barrow's genius (he first got some shine producing Neneh Cherry's underrated classic \"Somedays\" on N's \"Homebrew\" project two years prior to this album's release),\n\"Dummy\" proves that it's one of the most influential albums of all-time.",
"\"Glory Box\" has been heard in several films with it's Issac Hayes sample and slow strings and dozens of Portishead imitators and acts influenced by the group emerged.",
"This album has been duplicated so many times.",
"One of the best albums of the 1990s and one of the best debuts of all-time as well.",
"Timeless (it could have been recorded this year, it's so relevant) and without peer (OK, maybe Esthero and Everything But The Girl!",
"-since both are as high standing as these guys).",
"You'll be in a new multilayered, multicolored world when you put this disc in.",
"Out of this universe."
] |
We owned many kittens cats over the years. Never had one of this.
Decided to try it.
Our kitten hasn't stopped yet and it's been 35 minutes!!!
I wasn't sure when I first opened it because the ball seemed heavy. But it's perfect! A little ball wouldn't roll around as well.
It doesn't pop out easy.... well easy for a kitten. Its a solid ball. I was expecting a cheap hollow ball. Nope!
Lol....she's still in the kitchen going crazy with it now as I write this! :) | 2 | positive | [
"We owned many kittens cats over the years.",
"Never had one of this.",
"Decided to try it.",
"Our kitten hasn't stopped yet and it's been 35 minutes!!!",
"I wasn't sure when I first opened it because the ball seemed heavy.",
"But it's perfect!",
"A little ball wouldn't roll around as well.",
"It doesn't pop out easy....",
"well easy for a kitten.",
"Its a solid ball.",
"I was expecting a cheap hollow ball.",
"Nope!",
"Lol....",
"she's still in the kitchen going crazy with it now as I write this!",
":)"
] |
Most commercial hamster/gerbil food is designed for HAMSTERS...and will contain a mix of sunflower seeds, peanuts...millet...oats...etc. Your gerbils have an instinct to gorge on high fat foods and will eat out all of the sunflower seeds, peanuts...and high-fat seeds first...and will only eat the millet, oats and green pellets when everything better is gone. If you feed your gerbils "hamster food" daily...you'll soon have plump gerbils.
(Hamsters on the other hand...are hoarders...and will hide a portion of high fat foods in their nest for "later" consumption which rarely happens.)
Gerri Premium Gerbil Food is actually formulated for gerbils...not hamsters...leaving out the high fat sunflower seeds and peanuts. (You CAN still feed sunflower seeds as treats...don't get me wrong...but they shouldn't be included in the "regular" food. You wouldn't serve dessert to your kids with dinner and expect them to eat their dinner first!!)
I believe the food is manufactured in the UK. I've only been able to get my hands on a couple of bags...which I thought were excellent in quality. What a relief not having to spend an hour picking sunflower seeds and peanuts out of the mix! | 2 | positive | [
"Most commercial hamster/gerbil food is designed for HAMSTERS...",
"and will contain a mix of sunflower seeds, peanuts...",
"millet...",
"oats...",
"etc.",
"Your gerbils have an instinct to gorge on high fat foods and will eat out all of the sunflower seeds, peanuts...",
"and high-fat seeds first...",
"and will only eat the millet, oats and green pellets when everything better is gone.",
"If you feed your gerbils \"hamster food\" daily...",
"you'll soon have plump gerbils.",
"(Hamsters on the other hand...",
"are hoarders...",
"and will hide a portion of high fat foods in their nest for \"later\" consumption which rarely happens.",
")\n\nGerri Premium Gerbil Food is actually formulated for gerbils...",
"not hamsters...",
"leaving out the high fat sunflower seeds and peanuts.",
"(You CAN still feed sunflower seeds as treats...",
"don't get me wrong...",
"but they shouldn't be included in the \"regular\" food.",
"You wouldn't serve dessert to your kids with dinner and expect them to eat their dinner first!!",
")\n\nI believe the food is manufactured in the UK.",
"I've only been able to get my hands on a couple of bags...",
"which I thought were excellent in quality.",
"What a relief not having to spend an hour picking sunflower seeds and peanuts out of the mix!"
] |
Ok, I'll walk through this one starting with the pros and going into the cons. For starters, Far Cry is awesome as it is, it has beautiful graphics, giant environments that you can roam freely, tons of open ended gameplay that has high replayability, and if your good at shooters, will keep you entertained for a really long time. The AI is also supurb. The story line is great. Far Cry is in general, a really good if not great game.
As for the cons, trust me, some big ones do exist. For starters, the early version of the game which I got back when it was first released, doesnt work at all with 64-Bit processors. And as far as I know, so far there is not a patch that fixes that, only a different version of the game which is compatable. If I'm wrong, please let me know. Also, when the game is first installed (the installation is 5 CDs long, and has a tendency to only work after going through it 3 or 4 times) it is virtually unplayable on a lot of PC's. I have played the game on several computers, and they all have some sort of game stopping bugs which cant be fixed until you install Ubi's 80 mb game patch. People with 56k beware. Fortunately, I have dsl, so it wasn't that painful.
Since these are problems that I only encountered and you might not encounter at all, I won't hold it against the rating I'm giving the game. However, there are some things that I will hold against it.
First of all, this game is hard. I mean, for the most partm it is just simply challenging, but in other times it can get down right miserably difficult. Several missions I had no choice but to find an online walkthrough and resort to that, which I am sorry to say. Some parts, I still spend the days wondering how on earth I even completed them. The fact that there is no quick save option and only lengthy check points doesnt help at all. I found myself replaying the same checkpoints dozens of times over in one sitting. Argh, frusterating, often times, this makes you pay dearly for your mistakes during tough missions. Eventually the whole thing just gets plain tedious. Multiplayer is also the pits, it's laggy, weak, and just bad, despite the release of newer maps. I reccomend other shooters such as Half Life 2, Doom 3, or even F.E.A.R.
By looking at the game, I can see why it got so much hype on it's release, and why it was considered so great by the critics who spend their lives away playing video games, so when they come over one that is difficult they don't give it a second thought, but hey.
If your looking for a challenging game that will keep you entertained for a long time, get this game. Otherwise, there are a lot better options out there. | 2 | positive | [
"Ok, I'll walk through this one starting with the pros and going into the cons.",
"For starters, Far Cry is awesome as it is, it has beautiful graphics, giant environments that you can roam freely, tons of open ended gameplay that has high replayability, and if your good at shooters, will keep you entertained for a really long time.",
"The AI is also supurb.",
"The story line is great.",
"Far Cry is in general, a really good if not great game.",
"As for the cons, trust me, some big ones do exist.",
"For starters, the early version of the game which I got back when it was first released, doesnt work at all with 64-Bit processors.",
"And as far as I know, so far there is not a patch that fixes that, only a different version of the game which is compatable.",
"If I'm wrong, please let me know.",
"Also, when the game is first installed (the installation is 5 CDs long, and has a tendency to only work after going through it 3 or 4 times) it is virtually unplayable on a lot of PC's.",
"I have played the game on several computers, and they all have some sort of game stopping bugs which cant be fixed until you install Ubi's 80 mb game patch.",
"People with 56k beware.",
"Fortunately, I have dsl, so it wasn't that painful.",
"Since these are problems that I only encountered and you might not encounter at all, I won't hold it against the rating I'm giving the game.",
"However, there are some things that I will hold against it.",
"First of all, this game is hard.",
"I mean, for the most partm it is just simply challenging, but in other times it can get down right miserably difficult.",
"Several missions I had no choice but to find an online walkthrough and resort to that, which I am sorry to say.",
"Some parts, I still spend the days wondering how on earth I even completed them.",
"The fact that there is no quick save option and only lengthy check points doesnt help at all.",
"I found myself replaying the same checkpoints dozens of times over in one sitting.",
"Argh, frusterating, often times, this makes you pay dearly for your mistakes during tough missions.",
"Eventually the whole thing just gets plain tedious.",
"Multiplayer is also the pits, it's laggy, weak, and just bad, despite the release of newer maps.",
"I reccomend other shooters such as Half Life 2, Doom 3, or even F.",
"E.A.R.\n\n By looking at the game, I can see why it got so much hype on it's release, and why it was considered so great by the critics who spend their lives away playing video games, so when they come over one that is difficult they don't give it a second thought, but hey.",
"If your looking for a challenging game that will keep you entertained for a long time, get this game.",
"Otherwise, there are a lot better options out there."
] |
With the skull of a saber tooth tiger on the cover, it's not giving anything away to say that Sector C is ground zero for a genetic experiment that creates a chilling crisis on track to become a world-wide catastrophe.
This mystery focuses on two central characters: Mike Schafer, a statistical analyst for the CDC who's working to diagnose a rapidly-spreading, unidentified human malady, and Donna Bailey, a McKenzie County vet who's baffled by a perplexing new disease that's killing farm animals and pets. Other characters are mainly farmers and greedy, amoral corporate villains.
Mike and Donna team up to look for a transmissible pathogen -- "one that can jump species at will" -- one that might not even be limited to mammals. How they go about it is logical, believable and devastating. You'll probably learn as much as you've ever wanted to know about the human cost of pandemics and the tragic but necessary tactics used in an attempt to stop them.
There are a few minor flaws in this novel but I didn't find any that ruined it for me. I thought the things that counted were in place. For one thing, I often like conflicted characters, but this time, in this book, it seemed right to have protagonists who aren't confused about what's right and what's wrong.
Another thing that seemed right is the ending. As you might guess, it isn't wrapped up with a bow -- and that might bother some readers -- but this thing that's been unleashed will have repercussions into the future that the characters, rightly, can't even guess at. | 2 | positive | [
"With the skull of a saber tooth tiger on the cover, it's not giving anything away to say that Sector C is ground zero for a genetic experiment that creates a chilling crisis on track to become a world-wide catastrophe.",
"This mystery focuses on two central characters: Mike Schafer, a statistical analyst for the CDC who's working to diagnose a rapidly-spreading, unidentified human malady, and Donna Bailey, a McKenzie County vet who's baffled by a perplexing new disease that's killing farm animals and pets.",
"Other characters are mainly farmers and greedy, amoral corporate villains.",
"Mike and Donna team up to look for a transmissible pathogen -- \"one that can jump species at will\" -- one that might not even be limited to mammals.",
"How they go about it is logical, believable and devastating.",
"You'll probably learn as much as you've ever wanted to know about the human cost of pandemics and the tragic but necessary tactics used in an attempt to stop them.",
"There are a few minor flaws in this novel but I didn't find any that ruined it for me.",
"I thought the things that counted were in place.",
"For one thing, I often like conflicted characters, but this time, in this book, it seemed right to have protagonists who aren't confused about what's right and what's wrong.",
"Another thing that seemed right is the ending.",
"As you might guess, it isn't wrapped up with a bow -- and that might bother some readers -- but this thing that's been unleashed will have repercussions into the future that the characters, rightly, can't even guess at."
] |
The Sega Saturn was Sega's ultimate downfall with horrible sales and mostly mediocre games. But there are a few exceptions. The Saturn was created during an era where both 2D and 3D games were still the norm. 3D being a new concept. The Saturn was designed to run both platforms and had a partitioned motherboard, half 2D and half 3D processing. This made creating Saturn games very difficult as the creator had to bypass an entire half of the board or incorporate both. The System just by itself is a technological marvel of past generations and is unique in that sense. The Saturn saw some of the best 2D spaceship shooters of all time come to it's screens such as Radiant Silvergun and Darius Gaiden. It also created some of the best 3D games that would live on through the decades and inspire games to come. Some of these games such as the Panzer Dragoon titles were amazing breakthroughs of the era. I highly recommend this system to anyone who is building a collection because this system truly is a lost gem. | 2 | positive | [
"The Sega Saturn was Sega's ultimate downfall with horrible sales and mostly mediocre games.",
"But there are a few exceptions.",
"The Saturn was created during an era where both 2D and 3D games were still the norm.",
"3D being a new concept.",
"The Saturn was designed to run both platforms and had a partitioned motherboard, half 2D and half 3D processing.",
"This made creating Saturn games very difficult as the creator had to bypass an entire half of the board or incorporate both.",
"The System just by itself is a technological marvel of past generations and is unique in that sense.",
"The Saturn saw some of the best 2D spaceship shooters of all time come to it's screens such as Radiant Silvergun and Darius Gaiden.",
"It also created some of the best 3D games that would live on through the decades and inspire games to come.",
"Some of these games such as the Panzer Dragoon titles were amazing breakthroughs of the era.",
"I highly recommend this system to anyone who is building a collection because this system truly is a lost gem."
] |
NOW ALL PEOPLE WHO NEVER HAD A DREAMCAST , CAN EXPERIENCE A GREAT FOLLOW UP GAME TO THE ORIGINAL..MOST OF THE MOVES ARE BASIC , BUT YOU CAN PULL OFF NEAT WAYS TO TOTALLY ANNIHILATE YOUR OPPONENTS ! AND THE GRAB MOVES ARE REALLY COOL TOO !PLUS YOU CAN BUY ALL THEIR WEAPONS IN EDGE WEAPON MODE .AS WELL AS LOTS OF OTHER GREAT MODES OF PLAY AND COOL COSTUMES TOO...SO GET YOUR WIFE TO PLAY AGAINST YOU ..AND KICK HER ROYAL BUT AND SHOW HER WHO IS KING AND REALLY RULES !!SO PICK IT UP TODAY AND HAVE LOTS OF FUN..BESIDES IT IS WAY BETTER THAN ALL THOSE LAME 2D GAMES STILL COMING OUT..SO GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY AND SLAY TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT... | 2 | positive | [
"NOW ALL PEOPLE WHO NEVER HAD A DREAMCAST , CAN EXPERIENCE A GREAT FOLLOW UP GAME TO THE ORIGINAL..",
"MOST OF THE MOVES ARE BASIC , BUT YOU CAN PULL OFF NEAT WAYS TO TOTALLY ANNIHILATE YOUR OPPONENTS!",
"AND THE GRAB MOVES ARE REALLY COOL TOO!",
"PLUS YOU CAN BUY ALL THEIR WEAPONS IN EDGE WEAPON MODE.",
"AS WELL AS LOTS OF OTHER GREAT MODES OF PLAY AND COOL COSTUMES TOO...",
"SO GET YOUR WIFE TO PLAY AGAINST YOU..",
"AND KICK HER ROYAL BUT AND SHOW HER WHO IS KING AND REALLY RULES!!",
"SO PICK IT UP TODAY AND HAVE LOTS OF FUN..",
"BESIDES IT IS WAY BETTER THAN ALL THOSE LAME 2D GAMES STILL COMING OUT..",
"SO GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY AND SLAY TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT..."
] |
I only has so many Microsoft Office licenses to go around, and we wanted a program with most of the functionalities of Word, Powerpoint, and Excel. WordPerfect Office has all of that, and the documents are compatible with their respective MS Office programs. I don't use the other two programs on it, so I can't comment on them. As for the big three, they do everything MS Office does. You just have to get used to where the buttons are and what the screen looks like. The only drawback is that sometimes some minor formatting won't translate. You might set text color in a Powerpoint to something in WordPerfect and it will come out as something else when you open it in MS Office. The other thing I haven't tested is all the Powerpoint templates you can download. I make my own graphics for stuff like that, so I haven't tested any. I don't see why they wouldn't be compatible, but it's something to look at if you use them a lot. Considering this is a one time purchase instead of a never ending monthly fee, I'm willing to make the trade off. | 2 | positive | [
"I only has so many Microsoft Office licenses to go around, and we wanted a program with most of the functionalities of Word, Powerpoint, and Excel.",
"WordPerfect Office has all of that, and the documents are compatible with their respective MS Office programs.",
"I don't use the other two programs on it, so I can't comment on them.",
"As for the big three, they do everything MS Office does.",
"You just have to get used to where the buttons are and what the screen looks like.",
"The only drawback is that sometimes some minor formatting won't translate.",
"You might set text color in a Powerpoint to something in WordPerfect and it will come out as something else when you open it in MS Office.",
"The other thing I haven't tested is all the Powerpoint templates you can download.",
"I make my own graphics for stuff like that, so I haven't tested any.",
"I don't see why they wouldn't be compatible, but it's something to look at if you use them a lot.",
"Considering this is a one time purchase instead of a never ending monthly fee, I'm willing to make the trade off."
] |
(Wanted to interject with this, as you see the size right above here:
I spent decades buying one size fits all and have always a been 13 plus, as an adult.
The absolute vast majority of socks that are 10-13 ALWAYS end up barely being a size 10 sock after the first wash.
I don't think this is going to happen here, and when it doesn't, I'm buying another pair.)
Pleasantly surprised with the comfort and build of these.
Although I expect this for the price.
Giving this brand its first chance.
I'll follow up. Right now I'm tempted to go 5 stars.
Super comfy.
(Hours later: I wish that I had spent this kind of money years ago. I have some cheap Dexter shoes, but they have a gel heel and are remarkably comfortable. I wear them to work every day. I put these Thorlos on after I received them at my office, intentionally because they're going into my gym bag, and I wore them instead of my regular thin dress socks until I got home. Just walking out to the garage at my office I got a little attitude with myself as my feet have NEVER felt this comfortable before. I honestly didn't know that they could.
It was really noticeable with these socks on, albeit not bad before. Next step here is seeing how well they handle relatively minimal use, and how they stand up to washing and drying. I want to add that they are actually shaped like your still foot/ankle/lower leg. That also told me that that padding might be a little bit heavier too. They came out of the bag looking good, and I have a sense that these might end up with 5 stars and another purchase. Aren't these the ones that are made solely in North Carolina? I will GLADLY pay more for MADE IN THE USA, and especially if the quality is noticeable. I hate to jinx it, but we might be on to something here folks!) | 2 | positive | [
"(Wanted to interject with this, as you see the size right above here:\nI spent decades buying one size fits all and have always a been 13 plus, as an adult.",
"The absolute vast majority of socks that are 10-13 ALWAYS end up barely being a size 10 sock after the first wash.",
"I don't think this is going to happen here, and when it doesn't, I'm buying another pair.",
")\n\nPleasantly surprised with the comfort and build of these.",
"Although I expect this for the price.",
"Giving this brand its first chance.",
"I'll follow up.",
"Right now I'm tempted to go 5 stars.",
"Super comfy.",
"(Hours later: I wish that I had spent this kind of money years ago.",
"I have some cheap Dexter shoes, but they have a gel heel and are remarkably comfortable.",
"I wear them to work every day.",
"I put these Thorlos on after I received them at my office, intentionally because they're going into my gym bag, and I wore them instead of my regular thin dress socks until I got home.",
"Just walking out to the garage at my office I got a little attitude with myself as my feet have NEVER felt this comfortable before.",
"I honestly didn't know that they could.",
"It was really noticeable with these socks on, albeit not bad before.",
"Next step here is seeing how well they handle relatively minimal use, and how they stand up to washing and drying.",
"I want to add that they are actually shaped like your still foot/ankle/lower leg.",
"That also told me that that padding might be a little bit heavier too.",
"They came out of the bag looking good, and I have a sense that these might end up with 5 stars and another purchase.",
"Aren't these the ones that are made solely in North Carolina?",
"I will GLADLY pay more for MADE IN THE USA, and especially if the quality is noticeable.",
"I hate to jinx it, but we might be on to something here folks!",
")"
] |
i just watched leviathan, a high production value b movie from the late eighties. i hadn't seen it since my good buddy and i saw it theatrically upon its release, and it holds up nicely. a great cast led by a low-key peter weller, and that includes amanda pays, ernie hudson, hector elizondo, daniel stern, and meg foster, heads deep underwater to mine for silver and get attacked by a viral genetic mutation. the movie establishes its' characters and setting well, and in the beginning we get an engaging walk through the various characters and their area of mining expertise. when the crew stumbles upon a mysteriously unrecorded shipwreck, well, let's just say they would have been wise not to bring anything back to their facility from the ruskie vessel. this movie blatantly cribs from alien, aliens, the thing, jaws, and any other sea-faring, closed quarter creature feature. but it's fun, and really, all the movies i mentioned are themselves rip-offs of many other movies, like planet of the vampires, it, the green slime, creature from the black lagoon, and the original thing. whatever. i'm always up for monsters attacking isolated humans. peter weller is great, ernie hudson gets a barrage of good lines, and amanda pays shows up to remind us to ask: where did you go, amanda pays? production design is by the great ron cobb, and the creature fx are courtesy of stan winston, though it's clear things didn't go smoothly in that department. a lot of cool effects, a lot of waggling tentacles in place of where a creature should be. the design of the creature is awesome, the movements not so much. but there's definitely some good goo. either way, good fun, fully entertaining, nice eighties flick wrapped in the zeitgeist of deep star six and the abyss. | 2 | positive | [
"i just watched leviathan, a high production value b movie from the late eighties.",
"i hadn't seen it since my good buddy and i saw it theatrically upon its release, and it holds up nicely.",
"a great cast led by a low-key peter weller, and that includes amanda pays, ernie hudson, hector elizondo, daniel stern, and meg foster, heads deep underwater to mine for silver and get attacked by a viral genetic mutation.",
"the movie establishes its' characters and setting well, and in the beginning we get an engaging walk through the various characters and their area of mining expertise.",
"when the crew stumbles upon a mysteriously unrecorded shipwreck, well, let's just say they would have been wise not to bring anything back to their facility from the ruskie vessel.",
"this movie blatantly cribs from alien, aliens, the thing, jaws, and any other sea-faring, closed quarter creature feature.",
"but it's fun, and really, all the movies i mentioned are themselves rip-offs of many other movies, like planet of the vampires, it, the green slime, creature from the black lagoon, and the original thing.",
"whatever.",
"i'm always up for monsters attacking isolated humans.",
"peter weller is great, ernie hudson gets a barrage of good lines, and amanda pays shows up to remind us to ask: where did you go, amanda pays?",
"production design is by the great ron cobb, and the creature fx are courtesy of stan winston, though it's clear things didn't go smoothly in that department.",
"a lot of cool effects, a lot of waggling tentacles in place of where a creature should be.",
"the design of the creature is awesome, the movements not so much.",
"but there's definitely some good goo.",
"either way, good fun, fully entertaining, nice eighties flick wrapped in the zeitgeist of deep star six and the abyss."
] |
WNBA's Delle Donne hopes upcoming wedding can help others
NEW YORK (AP) â WNBA player Elena Delle Donne has always tried to give back and help others. So it's no surprise that her wedding to Amanda Clifton on Nov. 3 will have a charitable component to it.
The floral arrangements will be donated to nearby senior centers and women's shelters and the wedding registry will benefit Delle Donne's foundation. Her foundation supports the Special Olympics and people with Lyme disease.
"The wedding isn't just about us and our day " the 28-year-old Delle Donne said. "It can also impact others and make them happy."
Delle Donne and longtime girlfriend Clifton also hope that being a same-sex couple can help normalize it for others.
"That is the reason why I'm doing The Knot " Delle Donne said. "I don't want people to have to have these huge coming outs anymore. It should just be the norm. I love a woman. Or a man and a woman love each other. It should just be no big deal. ... I hope in people's minds they just see it as two beautiful brides and move on. You don't see enough of two brides or two grooms."
"That's all we can tell you the rest is all secret " said Delle Donne laughing. "There are secrets that can't be released."
Delle Donne and Clifton say their dogs Wrigley and Rasta won't be part of the wedding as planned. Rasta tore her ACL and had surgery this month so she's sidelined for the nuptials.
"We didn't think it would be smart to involve her and make her ride out to Long Island " Delle Donne said.
A star for Delaware in college Delle Donne has been trying to get Pink to come to the wedding. Clifton is a diehard fan of the singer and Delle Donne thinks it would be the ultimate gift.
"If Pink is on TV she is sitting and waiting for Pink to come on " Delle Donne said. "It would be such a great gift to my beautiful wife to have Pink there."
The couple met in Chicago when Delle Donne was playing for the WNBA's Sky. Clifton helped run Delle Donne 's basketball academy and did most of the wedding planning while her partner played for the Washington Mystics this summer. | 2 | positive | [
"WNBA's Delle Donne hopes upcoming wedding can help others\nNEW YORK (AP) â WNBA player Elena Delle Donne has always tried to give back and help others.",
"So it's no surprise that her wedding to Amanda Clifton on Nov.",
"3 will have a charitable component to it.",
"The floral arrangements will be donated to nearby senior centers and women's shelters and the wedding registry will benefit Delle Donne's foundation.",
"Her foundation supports the Special Olympics and people with Lyme disease.",
"\"The wedding isn't just about us and our day \" the 28-year-old Delle Donne said.",
"\"It can also impact others and make them happy.",
"\"\n Delle Donne and longtime girlfriend Clifton also hope that being a same-sex couple can help normalize it for others.",
"\"That is the reason why I'm doing The Knot \" Delle Donne said.",
"\"I don't want people to have to have these huge coming outs anymore.",
"It should just be the norm.",
"I love a woman.",
"Or a man and a woman love each other.",
"It should just be no big deal.",
"...",
"I hope in people's minds they just see it as two beautiful brides and move on.",
"You don't see enough of two brides or two grooms.",
"\"\n\"That's all we can tell you the rest is all secret \" said Delle Donne laughing.",
"\"There are secrets that can't be released.",
"\"\n Delle Donne and Clifton say their dogs Wrigley and Rasta won't be part of the wedding as planned.",
"Rasta tore her ACL and had surgery this month so she's sidelined for the nuptials.",
"\"We didn't think it would be smart to involve her and make her ride out to Long Island \" Delle Donne said.",
"A star for Delaware in college Delle Donne has been trying to get Pink to come to the wedding.",
"Clifton is a diehard fan of the singer and Delle Donne thinks it would be the ultimate gift.",
"\"If Pink is on TV she is sitting and waiting for Pink to come on \" Delle Donne said.",
"\"It would be such a great gift to my beautiful wife to have Pink there.",
"\"\nThe couple met in Chicago when Delle Donne was playing for the WNBA's Sky.",
"Clifton helped run Delle Donne 's basketball academy and did most of the wedding planning while her partner played for the Washington Mystics this summer."
] |
This thing is great! It really does "zoom groom". It works especially well for outdoor, cold weather grooming, as it grabs an enormous amount of fur really fast. You can groom outside (less mess to vacuum), but be done quickly, so your pet doesn't get cold. The fur comes off the brush fast and clean, no extensive picking and rubbing. Easy to clean. Doesn't scratch sensitive skin like some other brushes do. In about a minute I can brush out my German Shepherd; with any other brush, it takes much, much longer. Too cold to try for bathing, but when warm weather comes, I will try it and update for that function. Great brush, cheap, too. Not the only brush we want, but glad we purchased and would do so again! | 2 | positive | [
"This thing is great!",
"It really does \"zoom groom\".",
"It works especially well for outdoor, cold weather grooming, as it grabs an enormous amount of fur really fast.",
"You can groom outside (less mess to vacuum), but be done quickly, so your pet doesn't get cold.",
"The fur comes off the brush fast and clean, no extensive picking and rubbing.",
"Easy to clean.",
"Doesn't scratch sensitive skin like some other brushes do.",
"In about a minute I can brush out my German Shepherd; with any other brush, it takes much, much longer.",
"Too cold to try for bathing, but when warm weather comes, I will try it and update for that function.",
"Great brush, cheap, too.",
"Not the only brush we want, but glad we purchased and would do so again!"
] |
This is a June 2014 review.
Me: I am an avid audiophile. I know what good speakers driven by a class A vacuum tube amp can produce. That's the gold standard for this review.
I went into it on a budget and with eyes wide open, didn't have $500 or more to spend on an amp, especially an amp that would promise ridiculous wattage and not deliver.
This replaced an expensive name brand home theater amp that was supposed to be a 750 watt unit but really only delivered a tiny fraction of that per channel.
I believe from the other reviews complaining about fan noise and such that I might have got a new and improved model of this amp...
I have a Pyle 40 and another 15 watt per channel stereo amp that cost peanuts and have stood the test of time.
First - my purpose was to drive a couple good speakers from the 70's rated at 160 REAL watts continuous and 500 peak, to comfortable room filling volume - both for musical use and as a public address system on occasion at our business. I wanted clean sound and a lot of it, but for me a clean REAL 100 watts per channel would be plenty.
Next - this pup's a commercial unit - so it has NO RCA connectors. You'll need an adapter cable to hook up to a source. Either phono or XLR to RCA.
Next - there's only really one input and no mixing. So for one source, one set of speakers, you're good. Otherwise you'll need a mixer or some similar device to select inputs.
The results: I got a clean two channel stereo output feeding it with a clean input.
I'm using 8 ohm speakers with success, and I can't relate experience on 4 ohm - but I'd probably not try running 4 ohm speakers with this thing based on my sense of what it is, and the other reviews.
As for power output, 1000 Chinese watts is equal to a claim of 500x2 watts at 4 ohms is equal to 250x2 at 8 ohms, says the ad.
Reality: with speakers rated at 8 ohms, and half rated power, the thing will probably be longer lived.
Sound wise, at full clean output (clipping light on the amp flickers maybe once in 10 seconds) it sounds and feels like a good clean 75-100 watts should with those speakers. In years gone by I've driven them with 500 watt per channel vacuum tube amplifiers, and the feel is about right for 75-100 watts.
Provided you don't plan to use the 4 ohm speakers, provided you don't plan to hook it up and let it rip full power regardless of the distortion, provided you don't plan to treat it like a crazed teenager - and provided it doesn't commit suicide all by itself - it works fine.
The amp I got is clean sounding, the fans only come on at higher power levels, are they are inaudible against any reasonable musical material except for something with periods of dead silence. Even then, not all that bad. Those listening to the system have said "what fan?"
Out of the box, no hum, no surprises. Do plan to turn it down before turning it on or off.
Upshot: Good as anything I've heard since the early 90's, if your intention is to run real speakers at decent volume with enough headroom to sound right.
If taking your chances for under $100 in the hopes of hitting the jackpot appeals to you, you have come to the right place.
Oh, and it has no UL approval or any other approvals I can see. Caveat emptor! | 2 | positive | [
"This is a June 2014 review.",
"Me: I am an avid audiophile.",
"I know what good speakers driven by a class A vacuum tube amp can produce.",
"That's the gold standard for this review.",
"I went into it on a budget and with eyes wide open, didn't have $500 or more to spend on an amp, especially an amp that would promise ridiculous wattage and not deliver.",
"This replaced an expensive name brand home theater amp that was supposed to be a 750 watt unit but really only delivered a tiny fraction of that per channel.",
"I believe from the other reviews complaining about fan noise and such that I might have got a new and improved model of this amp...",
"I have a Pyle 40 and another 15 watt per channel stereo amp that cost peanuts and have stood the test of time.",
"First - my purpose was to drive a couple good speakers from the 70's rated at 160 REAL watts continuous and 500 peak, to comfortable room filling volume - both for musical use and as a public address system on occasion at our business.",
"I wanted clean sound and a lot of it, but for me a clean REAL 100 watts per channel would be plenty.",
"Next - this pup's a commercial unit - so it has NO RCA connectors.",
"You'll need an adapter cable to hook up to a source.",
"Either phono or XLR to RCA.",
"Next - there's only really one input and no mixing.",
"So for one source, one set of speakers, you're good.",
"Otherwise you'll need a mixer or some similar device to select inputs.",
"The results: I got a clean two channel stereo output feeding it with a clean input.",
"I'm using 8 ohm speakers with success, and I can't relate experience on 4 ohm - but I'd probably not try running 4 ohm speakers with this thing based on my sense of what it is, and the other reviews.",
"As for power output, 1000 Chinese watts is equal to a claim of 500x2 watts at 4 ohms is equal to 250x2 at 8 ohms, says the ad.",
"Reality: with speakers rated at 8 ohms, and half rated power, the thing will probably be longer lived.",
"Sound wise, at full clean output (clipping light on the amp flickers maybe once in 10 seconds) it sounds and feels like a good clean 75-100 watts should with those speakers.",
"In years gone by I've driven them with 500 watt per channel vacuum tube amplifiers, and the feel is about right for 75-100 watts.",
"Provided you don't plan to use the 4 ohm speakers, provided you don't plan to hook it up and let it rip full power regardless of the distortion, provided you don't plan to treat it like a crazed teenager - and provided it doesn't commit suicide all by itself - it works fine.",
"The amp I got is clean sounding, the fans only come on at higher power levels, are they are inaudible against any reasonable musical material except for something with periods of dead silence.",
"Even then, not all that bad.",
"Those listening to the system have said \"what fan?",
"\"\n\nOut of the box, no hum, no surprises.",
"Do plan to turn it down before turning it on or off.",
"Upshot: Good as anything I've heard since the early 90's, if your intention is to run real speakers at decent volume with enough headroom to sound right.",
"If taking your chances for under $100 in the hopes of hitting the jackpot appeals to you, you have come to the right place.",
"Oh, and it has no UL approval or any other approvals I can see.",
"Caveat emptor!"
] |
I finally decided this is my go to dashi base. I use it primarily for miso soup base, but also use it for ramen and udon noodle bases too. However, I typically go with the Ajinomoto jar. It's almost double this price but keeps longer.
I was always going between this and the jar (Ajinomoto always!) because it is almost double the price as these sachets. However, the jar keeps my dashi more fresh. Which makes it last longer.
I do between 1/3 and 1 tsp of dashi per 1 cup of water. 1/3 for my daughters, 1/2 for my wife, and 1 tsp for me. Then I use between 1 and 2 tbsp of miso paste. White for the kids, 1 tbsp white and 1 tbsp red for the wife, and 2 tbsp red for me.
I'll boil the dashi, add any veggies, remove from heat, then add the miso.
In any case, this dashi powder is 85-90% as good as Bonito flakes. The jar is totally worth the almost double the price of the sachets, the only time I'll buy the sachets is when I'm cooking for a group of friends, otherwise I find if I'm not finishing the whole sachet in a week to a week and a half, it starts to lose flavor and starts to taste like my fridge. With the jar, I can keep the jar for months with no issue.
Buy with confidence! | 2 | positive | [
"I finally decided this is my go to dashi base.",
"I use it primarily for miso soup base, but also use it for ramen and udon noodle bases too.",
"However, I typically go with the Ajinomoto jar.",
"It's almost double this price but keeps longer.",
"I was always going between this and the jar (Ajinomoto always!",
") because it is almost double the price as these sachets.",
"However, the jar keeps my dashi more fresh.",
"Which makes it last longer.",
"I do between 1/3 and 1 tsp of dashi per 1 cup of water.",
"1/3 for my daughters, 1/2 for my wife, and 1 tsp for me.",
"Then I use between 1 and 2 tbsp of miso paste.",
"White for the kids, 1 tbsp white and 1 tbsp red for the wife, and 2 tbsp red for me.",
"I'll boil the dashi, add any veggies, remove from heat, then add the miso.",
"In any case, this dashi powder is 85-90% as good as Bonito flakes.",
"The jar is totally worth the almost double the price of the sachets, the only time I'll buy the sachets is when I'm cooking for a group of friends, otherwise I find if I'm not finishing the whole sachet in a week to a week and a half, it starts to lose flavor and starts to taste like my fridge.",
"With the jar, I can keep the jar for months with no issue.",
"Buy with confidence!"
] |
Styling hair is not something I do well. I'm kind of a dunce at it. So this review will be for people like me who want to know the basics. Unlike most of my hair styling tools, this one had a simple, easy-to-use plug. It was very simple to turn on and off, with an excellent operating display that shows clearly if it is turned on or not, and to allow you to change the temperature switch. To do that, you just press the power button until it gets to the one you want, after getting to hottest setting, press again and you're back to the lowest setting. When the lights turn SOLID, you can start using it. If you want to turn it off, press and hold the Power & Temperature Switch. I don't trust myself or the iron enough to leave it plugged in though, so I just unplug it.
The Singlepass Luxe comes with a couple of clips to help section off the hair. You're supposed to use thin horizontal sections so the iron can be positioned close to the roots. I need to work on that.
It worked well on my hair, which is in the 'fine' category. There's a little chart in the instructions that says you should slow down as you use the iron and glide it through the direction of hair growth at a speed slower than when you brush your hair. If you have fine hair, they suggest 2-3 inches per second, medium hair, 2 inches per second, and course hair, 1 inch per second. My hair looks good now that I've finished styling it, so I guess even though I didn't section it off perfectly into thin horizontal sections, it works for me. I think I'll be able to do better with practice.
I wanted to do some little curls in the front. There were no instructions on how to do that. I'll need some
They did mention several times not to wind the cord around the flat iron because it will shorten the life of the iron. | 2 | positive | [
"Styling hair is not something I do well.",
"I'm kind of a dunce at it.",
"So this review will be for people like me who want to know the basics.",
"Unlike most of my hair styling tools, this one had a simple, easy-to-use plug.",
"It was very simple to turn on and off, with an excellent operating display that shows clearly if it is turned on or not, and to allow you to change the temperature switch.",
"To do that, you just press the power button until it gets to the one you want, after getting to hottest setting, press again and you're back to the lowest setting.",
"When the lights turn SOLID, you can start using it.",
"If you want to turn it off, press and hold the Power & Temperature Switch.",
"I don't trust myself or the iron enough to leave it plugged in though, so I just unplug it.",
"The Singlepass Luxe comes with a couple of clips to help section off the hair.",
"You're supposed to use thin horizontal sections so the iron can be positioned close to the roots.",
"I need to work on that.",
"It worked well on my hair, which is in the 'fine' category.",
"There's a little chart in the instructions that says you should slow down as you use the iron and glide it through the direction of hair growth at a speed slower than when you brush your hair.",
"If you have fine hair, they suggest 2-3 inches per second, medium hair, 2 inches per second, and course hair, 1 inch per second.",
"My hair looks good now that I've finished styling it, so I guess even though I didn't section it off perfectly into thin horizontal sections, it works for me.",
"I think I'll be able to do better with practice.",
"I wanted to do some little curls in the front.",
"There were no instructions on how to do that.",
"I'll need some\n\nThey did mention several times not to wind the cord around the flat iron because it will shorten the life of the iron."
] |
Let's get the main criticism out of the way - yes, yes, "A Dance With Dragons" in many respects is far too long and far too slow. This book is not nearly as taut as George R. R. Martin's magnificent "A Game of Thrones," but instead is eerily reminiscent of the half-baked-yet-1200-pages-long draft that Michael Douglas is working on at the beginning of "Wonder Boys." I often felt like his insightful student who reluctantly tells Douglas, "Sure, it's beautifully written, but it's like you didn't have the courage to make any choices."
But here's the thing. Now that he's into the fifth book of "A Song of Ice and Fire," Martin has realized that he's created a unique, fully realized world that has a dizzying cast of characters. Unlike Tolkien (the inevitable comparison once again rears its ugly head), Martin has decided to put everything into this series - he's not going to finish these seven books and then unleash a Silmarillion-like collection of back stories and supporting myths. He's created this world, by gum, and he's going to let us wallow in its glorious, bloody miseries and triumphs.
And wallow we do. The first two thirds of the book bring back some favorite characters who were frustratingly absent from Book 4, "A Feast For Crows." Tyrion Lannister flees to the East after murdering his father at the end of Book 3, "A Storm of Swords." Ever the plotter, Tyrion aims to join forces with Daenerys Targaryen, the dragon queen whose dreams of reconquering Westeros are thwarted by the troubles she's made for herself in Meereen after freeing the slaves. Daenerys must also confront the harsh fact that her beloved three dragons are not responding well to city life. Daenerys faces innumerable political challenges in a world where political issues are often solved with blood or poison. Jon Snow still commands the Watch at the Wall, but faces his own mess of devil's choices. Bran Stark continues his journey toward becoming a mystical seer. Theon Greyjoy endures the harshest of tortures at the hands of Ramsay Bolton but at Winterfell must maintain an obvious lie for political purposes. Arya Stark stays on the path to assassinhood in Braavos . . . and on and on. The last third of the novel reconnects with the action in the South as we get brief glimpes through the eyes of Jaime, Cersei, and Kevan Lannister and a few others.
At the end of the novel, "A Song of Ice and Fire" is teed up for some mighty clashes and high-stakes political wheeling and dealing. Could Martin have written a much shorter book to get to the same point? Of course he could have. But the point is, "A Song of Ice and Fire" is an epic story, perhaps the most epic in the history of high fantasy. He is not writing books that can be easily enjoyed on an airplane flight and then discarded. These are books that are meant to be savoured and devoured. My perfect "ASOIAF" reading experience would most likely involve a quiet room with massive maps on my walls and a character compendium at my side so I could refresh my recollection as to just who the heck the Martells are, or the role of the Sand Snakes, and why the Boltons and Tullys matter. I haven't forgotten these details because these folks aren't interesting - it's just they've been off-stage for too long. For me, that's a strength of Martin's books, not a weakness.
Eventually, this epic will be so vast that anyone who can keep it all straight should receive an honorary PhD. We need more series like this, but I fear that Martin's creation is a once-in-a-generation affair. | 2 | positive | [
"Let's get the main criticism out of the way - yes, yes, \"A Dance With Dragons\" in many respects is far too long and far too slow.",
"This book is not nearly as taut as George R.",
"R.",
"Martin's magnificent \"A Game of Thrones,\" but instead is eerily reminiscent of the half-baked-yet-1200-pages-long draft that Michael Douglas is working on at the beginning of \"Wonder Boys.",
"\" I often felt like his insightful student who reluctantly tells Douglas, \"Sure, it's beautifully written, but it's like you didn't have the courage to make any choices.",
"\"\n\nBut here's the thing.",
"Now that he's into the fifth book of \"A Song of Ice and Fire,\" Martin has realized that he's created a unique, fully realized world that has a dizzying cast of characters.",
"Unlike Tolkien (the inevitable comparison once again rears its ugly head), Martin has decided to put everything into this series - he's not going to finish these seven books and then unleash a Silmarillion-like collection of back stories and supporting myths.",
"He's created this world, by gum, and he's going to let us wallow in its glorious, bloody miseries and triumphs.",
"And wallow we do.",
"The first two thirds of the book bring back some favorite characters who were frustratingly absent from Book 4, \"A Feast For Crows.",
"\" Tyrion Lannister flees to the East after murdering his father at the end of Book 3, \"A Storm of Swords.",
"\" Ever the plotter, Tyrion aims to join forces with Daenerys Targaryen, the dragon queen whose dreams of reconquering Westeros are thwarted by the troubles she's made for herself in Meereen after freeing the slaves.",
"Daenerys must also confront the harsh fact that her beloved three dragons are not responding well to city life.",
"Daenerys faces innumerable political challenges in a world where political issues are often solved with blood or poison.",
"Jon Snow still commands the Watch at the Wall, but faces his own mess of devil's choices.",
"Bran Stark continues his journey toward becoming a mystical seer.",
"Theon Greyjoy endures the harshest of tortures at the hands of Ramsay Bolton but at Winterfell must maintain an obvious lie for political purposes.",
"Arya Stark stays on the path to assassinhood in Braavos.",
".",
".",
"and on and on.",
"The last third of the novel reconnects with the action in the South as we get brief glimpes through the eyes of Jaime, Cersei, and Kevan Lannister and a few others.",
"At the end of the novel, \"A Song of Ice and Fire\" is teed up for some mighty clashes and high-stakes political wheeling and dealing.",
"Could Martin have written a much shorter book to get to the same point?",
"Of course he could have.",
"But the point is, \"A Song of Ice and Fire\" is an epic story, perhaps the most epic in the history of high fantasy.",
"He is not writing books that can be easily enjoyed on an airplane flight and then discarded.",
"These are books that are meant to be savoured and devoured.",
"My perfect \"ASOIAF\" reading experience would most likely involve a quiet room with massive maps on my walls and a character compendium at my side so I could refresh my recollection as to just who the heck the Martells are, or the role of the Sand Snakes, and why the Boltons and Tullys matter.",
"I haven't forgotten these details because these folks aren't interesting - it's just they've been off-stage for too long.",
"For me, that's a strength of Martin's books, not a weakness.",
"Eventually, this epic will be so vast that anyone who can keep it all straight should receive an honorary PhD.",
"We need more series like this, but I fear that Martin's creation is a once-in-a-generation affair."
] |
Here it is, i was apprehensive buying this after reading a few reviews on this piece. I needed a decent chorus option for vocals and thought this might work instead of the more expensive TC Helicon chorus box. I primarily use my TC Helicon Mic Mechanic for my vocal processing and it works great.(very smooth) Yes this box is a light plastic box. It uses only 1/4 inch in and outs and does come with a power chord. The sounds are very versatile in this unit. 16 very decent sounds that cover most every effect you may want to use. This could easily be used as the main processor for a vocal. I would use it along with a compressor as in my opinion, a compressor should be used in a live situation. Surprisingly, the effects including the delay can be modified and shaped for whatever sound you are looking to achieve. I needed to have reverb with a little delay but also be able to use another effect(chorus, phasing or flange for occasional applications. Thats where this comes in. This unit provides a dry/wet mix knob which i feel is most affective at unity or cut back to about 10 o'clock. another useful knob controls other shaping aspects of the effect, such as delay feedback. I found the same setting works great for my applications, unity or 10 to 11 o'clock. Novices need to experiment and develop an understanding of possibilities and product design before unfairly critiquing gear. The processing on this box is anything but a toy. It is top notch for live applications and it has really elevated my sound. When set up properly, it sounds amazing. As far as being road worthy, all my delicate equipment like my mixers are transported with finesse, usually up front with me. This processor can be set for very subtle vocal effects or for very dramatic effect such as a robotic or big 80's sound. A great option to the more expensive rack unit. | 2 | positive | [
"Here it is, i was apprehensive buying this after reading a few reviews on this piece.",
"I needed a decent chorus option for vocals and thought this might work instead of the more expensive TC Helicon chorus box.",
"I primarily use my TC Helicon Mic Mechanic for my vocal processing and it works great.",
"(very smooth) Yes this box is a light plastic box.",
"It uses only 1/4 inch in and outs and does come with a power chord.",
"The sounds are very versatile in this unit.",
"16 very decent sounds that cover most every effect you may want to use.",
"This could easily be used as the main processor for a vocal.",
"I would use it along with a compressor as in my opinion, a compressor should be used in a live situation.",
"Surprisingly, the effects including the delay can be modified and shaped for whatever sound you are looking to achieve.",
"I needed to have reverb with a little delay but also be able to use another effect(chorus, phasing or flange for occasional applications.",
"Thats where this comes in.",
"This unit provides a dry/wet mix knob which i feel is most affective at unity or cut back to about 10 o'clock.",
"another useful knob controls other shaping aspects of the effect, such as delay feedback.",
"I found the same setting works great for my applications, unity or 10 to 11 o'clock.",
"Novices need to experiment and develop an understanding of possibilities and product design before unfairly critiquing gear.",
"The processing on this box is anything but a toy.",
"It is top notch for live applications and it has really elevated my sound.",
"When set up properly, it sounds amazing.",
"As far as being road worthy, all my delicate equipment like my mixers are transported with finesse, usually up front with me.",
"This processor can be set for very subtle vocal effects or for very dramatic effect such as a robotic or big 80's sound.",
"A great option to the more expensive rack unit."
] |
SUper Mario Sunshine has to be the most anticipated game for Gamecube., and it delivers. The story goes like this. After escaping King Boo mario goes on a vacation on the beautiful island of Isle Delfino. But when the plane almost crah lands into "icky paint like goop" there is something to feel suspicious. In the background they saw a silhouette(however you spell that) of Mario. Mario then finds a FLUDD(the water pack. Mario gets arrested because the islanders think that he's to blame for polluting there island. They go to court and the judge tells Mario that he can't go back home until he cleans u-p the island. The polluting sludges up then shine gate, the shine gate is where all the shines gather. Shines give power and light to Isle Delfino. Thus begins Super Mario Sunshine, my favorite Mario game ever...
Mario Sunshines gameplay is complex and challenging. little kids couldn't beat this game with ease because even to an experienced gamer this game is extremely challenging. There are, well I think there are 10 levels(I haven't unlocked all of them. There are I think 110 shine sprites, and with in a level there are 8 episodes. Each episode has a different challenge to get a different shine sprite. There are Yoshis also so saddle up. To get a shine sprite you need to complete a different task with in an episode with in a level. The challenges can be simple and easy, or complex and difficult. The bosses are really fun to batle, some easy and some hard There are also new enemies and new allies including the electric koopas mud monsters etc. and for the allies Nokis and Piantas.
The controlls of the game are really good. Here are the controlls for Mario... A is to jump. A and L is the ground pound. To spin jump you must run in tight circles the press the a button. To squirt press R to switch nozzles press the X button and to view through Marios eyes in 360 degrees(or the Mario cam) press the Y button. Press the B button to talk to the islanders. When you get Yoshi and when you are on his back here are the controlls... A jump, B eat/talk and all the reest that Mario has. Overall the controlls are really really good in my opinion...
The graphics are very well done. They might not be the greatest in the world but they are great. It's so collerful and beautiful. Awesome textures although I hate when you go to close to something you can see right through... BOY DO I HATE THAT. But oh well...
Mario Sunshine is definetly worth all of that hype. Beautiful Graphics, awesome controll and gameplay, Miyamato I thank you for such a great job on such an awesome series........... SUPER MARIO!!!!!! | 2 | positive | [
"SUper Mario Sunshine has to be the most anticipated game for Gamecube.",
", and it delivers.",
"The story goes like this.",
"After escaping King Boo mario goes on a vacation on the beautiful island of Isle Delfino.",
"But when the plane almost crah lands into \"icky paint like goop\" there is something to feel suspicious.",
"In the background they saw a silhouette(however you spell that) of Mario.",
"Mario then finds a FLUDD(the water pack.",
"Mario gets arrested because the islanders think that he's to blame for polluting there island.",
"They go to court and the judge tells Mario that he can't go back home until he cleans u-p the island.",
"The polluting sludges up then shine gate, the shine gate is where all the shines gather.",
"Shines give power and light to Isle Delfino.",
"Thus begins Super Mario Sunshine, my favorite Mario game ever...",
"Mario Sunshines gameplay is complex and challenging.",
"little kids couldn't beat this game with ease because even to an experienced gamer this game is extremely challenging.",
"There are, well I think there are 10 levels(I haven't unlocked all of them.",
"There are I think 110 shine sprites, and with in a level there are 8 episodes.",
"Each episode has a different challenge to get a different shine sprite.",
"There are Yoshis also so saddle up.",
"To get a shine sprite you need to complete a different task with in an episode with in a level.",
"The challenges can be simple and easy, or complex and difficult.",
"The bosses are really fun to batle, some easy and some hard There are also new enemies and new allies including the electric koopas mud monsters etc.",
"and for the allies Nokis and Piantas.",
"The controlls of the game are really good.",
"Here are the controlls for Mario...",
"A is to jump.",
"A and L is the ground pound.",
"To spin jump you must run in tight circles the press the a button.",
"To squirt press R to switch nozzles press the X button and to view through Marios eyes in 360 degrees(or the Mario cam) press the Y button.",
"Press the B button to talk to the islanders.",
"When you get Yoshi and when you are on his back here are the controlls...",
"A jump, B eat/talk and all the reest that Mario has.",
"Overall the controlls are really really good in my opinion...",
"The graphics are very well done.",
"They might not be the greatest in the world but they are great.",
"It's so collerful and beautiful.",
"Awesome textures although I hate when you go to close to something you can see right through...",
"BOY DO I HATE THAT.",
"But oh well...",
"Mario Sunshine is definetly worth all of that hype.",
"Beautiful Graphics, awesome controll and gameplay, Miyamato I thank you for such a great job on such an awesome series....",
"....",
"...",
"SUPER MARIO!!!!",
"!!"
] |
Pure and simple, this is METAL. This is hard driving rock and roll. This is music YOU listen to before going to WAR!!! Whether you are black or white or any other race, whether you are rich or poor, this is the kind of music you listen to to send adrenaline through your body and make you want to dance, shout and GET OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is only one song from this CD that is "different" from the rest, and that is the instrumental "love theme from Kiss". And while these are studio versions of their music, it's also some of their best. Black Diamond is done really wicked on this CD. The sound is somewhat like that of Black Sabbath. You get to hear Gene Simmons at some of his Rockin best, especially his voice hitting the high notes on Deuce!!! And let us not forget about Ace's screaming lead guitar licks. You get to hear some of his best work on this "Opening Day" CD of KISS. Then there's Peter Criss' heart pounding drum work, especially on 100,000 years. And who can deny Paul's perfect vocals. If you love REAL Rock and Roll, you'll love this Premiere CD. | 2 | positive | [
"Pure and simple, this is METAL.",
"This is hard driving rock and roll.",
"This is music YOU listen to before going to WAR!!!",
"Whether you are black or white or any other race, whether you are rich or poor, this is the kind of music you listen to to send adrenaline through your body and make you want to dance, shout and GET OFF!!!!",
"!!!!",
"!!!!",
"!!!!",
"!!!!",
"!!!!",
"!!!!",
"!!!!",
"!!!!",
"!!!!",
"There is only one song from this CD that is \"different\" from the rest, and that is the instrumental \"love theme from Kiss\".",
"And while these are studio versions of their music, it's also some of their best.",
"Black Diamond is done really wicked on this CD.",
"The sound is somewhat like that of Black Sabbath.",
"You get to hear Gene Simmons at some of his Rockin best, especially his voice hitting the high notes on Deuce!!!",
"And let us not forget about Ace's screaming lead guitar licks.",
"You get to hear some of his best work on this \"Opening Day\" CD of KISS.",
"Then there's Peter Criss' heart pounding drum work, especially on 100,000 years.",
"And who can deny Paul's perfect vocals.",
"If you love REAL Rock and Roll, you'll love this Premiere CD."
] |
I am a long time Science Diet user. I used it for my dog before he passed away, and I now use it for my cat. She is not very finicky and will eat most anything except the very very cheap brands of cat food. I trust the Science Diet brand as she has a sensitive stomach, so if she eats the wrong kind of food...let's just say that I will be cleaning up a lot.
This is a set of 12 cans of cat food. There are 4 cans of the turkey and liver flavor, 4 of the chicken flavor, and 4 of the turkey flavor. Nothing is remarkable about the cans themselves. They open easily and reliably. As to what is in them, well I was a little disappointed that the texture of the food is not like what is pictured on the box at all. It is like a can of mush and a little liquid to keep it moist. I was hoping it would be more textured and grainy like what is pictured on the box, but oh well. I cannot say I have not seen that texture in pet food before.
As to the food, no problems from my cat. The smell of the food is a bit strong, but she likes the flavor, and will come running when she hears the can open. I even mixed it with some food she does not like and she still ate it. It did not upset her tummy, so we are good with this. I will continue to favor Science diet for my pet's needs. | 2 | positive | [
"I am a long time Science Diet user.",
"I used it for my dog before he passed away, and I now use it for my cat.",
"She is not very finicky and will eat most anything except the very very cheap brands of cat food.",
"I trust the Science Diet brand as she has a sensitive stomach, so if she eats the wrong kind of food...",
"let's just say that I will be cleaning up a lot.",
"This is a set of 12 cans of cat food.",
"There are 4 cans of the turkey and liver flavor, 4 of the chicken flavor, and 4 of the turkey flavor.",
"Nothing is remarkable about the cans themselves.",
"They open easily and reliably.",
"As to what is in them, well I was a little disappointed that the texture of the food is not like what is pictured on the box at all.",
"It is like a can of mush and a little liquid to keep it moist.",
"I was hoping it would be more textured and grainy like what is pictured on the box, but oh well.",
"I cannot say I have not seen that texture in pet food before.",
"As to the food, no problems from my cat.",
"The smell of the food is a bit strong, but she likes the flavor, and will come running when she hears the can open.",
"I even mixed it with some food she does not like and she still ate it.",
"It did not upset her tummy, so we are good with this.",
"I will continue to favor Science diet for my pet's needs."
] |
If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes, and you haven't seen this picture, you are doing yourself a disservice. As you can note by the many reviews, it is very Sherlockian. No small wonder: it appears to be a retelling of the Holmes story "A Scandal In Bohemia." It borrows the skeleton of the original story - which provides us with the comfortable old paradigm - but it veers from the source material enough to make it feel entirely fresh. Which is cool.
Also, it is interesting from a visual standpoint, which lends credibility to Sherlock's quote (from yet another story) that "Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms," considering Jake Kasdan's paternity. In this case, it might be better to amend the quote to "Art in the blood can't help but reveal itself." It's a pretty looking film, and the camera is in the hands of someone who understands how to use it as a narrative device.
Even those who haven't read every Sherlock Holmes story available will possibly like this, because I think most people like to watch stories about really, really smart people who figure stuff out . . . particularly when those smart people have a difficult time keeping themselves together, despite their intelligence.
The comparison to Sherlock Holmes wouldn't be quite complete without pointing out that this movie is very sequel-worthy ... and I hope that its makers finally arrive at the same conclusion. | 2 | positive | [
"If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes, and you haven't seen this picture, you are doing yourself a disservice.",
"As you can note by the many reviews, it is very Sherlockian.",
"No small wonder: it appears to be a retelling of the Holmes story \"A Scandal In Bohemia.",
"\" It borrows the skeleton of the original story - which provides us with the comfortable old paradigm - but it veers from the source material enough to make it feel entirely fresh.",
"Which is cool.",
"Also, it is interesting from a visual standpoint, which lends credibility to Sherlock's quote (from yet another story) that \"Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms,\" considering Jake Kasdan's paternity.",
"In this case, it might be better to amend the quote to \"Art in the blood can't help but reveal itself.",
"\" It's a pretty looking film, and the camera is in the hands of someone who understands how to use it as a narrative device.",
"Even those who haven't read every Sherlock Holmes story available will possibly like this, because I think most people like to watch stories about really, really smart people who figure stuff out.",
".",
".",
"particularly when those smart people have a difficult time keeping themselves together, despite their intelligence.",
"The comparison to Sherlock Holmes wouldn't be quite complete without pointing out that this movie is very sequel-worthy...",
"and I hope that its makers finally arrive at the same conclusion."
] |
Having been an impressionable fifteen year old when BORN TO RUN first ran, it's hard, thirty two (!) years later to adequately measure the impact this album had. The changes it wrought in the young people who first heard it were very nearly on the cellular level (that's biology, not telephony, you 21st century yahoos!). The only reason that BORN TO RUN did not acquire near biblical status amongst my immediate peers was because Springsteen was a Jerseyite, not a Long Islander (that's "Lawn Guylander" to you, man), and while bopping back forties in the schoolyard at night and choking down red-pack Marlboros by the handful, we still managed to sneer a bit at "B.S.", that yokel from the swamplands that stretched "from the coastline to The City."
Of course, even the sneeringest, the most Billy Joelic, Good Ratsish, and Twisted Sisterite of us couldn't deny that Springsteen had created a work of aural cinematography with BORN TO RUN. Virtually every song is not only memorable but visceral in a way that rock albums have not been for so long since then. Sure, those New Jersey people obviously lived in hog pens and drank budget beer, but just like us, they dreamed of taking Dad's old Musclecar ("Hemipowered drones") on a 120 MPH rip down Route 80 toward the setting sun. Go West, young man. Go West.
And yet, there's more here than wish fulfillment. There's real depth. When Bruce sings of the "skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets," he unconsciously echoes Allen Ginsberg in 'Sunflower Sutra': "Jack Kerouac sat beside me on a busted rusty iron pipe. 'Look at the sunflower,' he said." Springsteen gave us our own flowering in the sun.
BORN TO RUN spoke so loudly and meaningfully because it spoke so universally. Trapped in seemingly dead-end suburban small towns (just within sight of the New York skyline, but oh, so far away) we wanted so desperately to run, we dreamed of hearing that long, mournful train whistle blow, we wanted Dylan's vision of the soul in BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, but we also wanted the brash unrestrained energy of Bruce S. on a hot, neon-encrusted night.
A Shaman with a guitar, he gave us visions: "...She dances across the porch as the radio plays." The blonde wore Wayfarers. Her name was Wendy. Or Mary. Or maybe it didn't matter as long as "her eyes shone like the Midnight Sun. She was the one." | 2 | positive | [
"Having been an impressionable fifteen year old when BORN TO RUN first ran, it's hard, thirty two (!",
") years later to adequately measure the impact this album had.",
"The changes it wrought in the young people who first heard it were very nearly on the cellular level (that's biology, not telephony, you 21st century yahoos!",
").",
"The only reason that BORN TO RUN did not acquire near biblical status amongst my immediate peers was because Springsteen was a Jerseyite, not a Long Islander (that's \"Lawn Guylander\" to you, man), and while bopping back forties in the schoolyard at night and choking down red-pack Marlboros by the handful, we still managed to sneer a bit at \"B.",
"S.\", that yokel from the swamplands that stretched \"from the coastline to The City.",
"\"\n\nOf course, even the sneeringest, the most Billy Joelic, Good Ratsish, and Twisted Sisterite of us couldn't deny that Springsteen had created a work of aural cinematography with BORN TO RUN.",
"Virtually every song is not only memorable but visceral in a way that rock albums have not been for so long since then.",
"Sure, those New Jersey people obviously lived in hog pens and drank budget beer, but just like us, they dreamed of taking Dad's old Musclecar (\"Hemipowered drones\") on a 120 MPH rip down Route 80 toward the setting sun.",
"Go West, young man.",
"Go West.",
"And yet, there's more here than wish fulfillment.",
"There's real depth.",
"When Bruce sings of the \"skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets,\" he unconsciously echoes Allen Ginsberg in 'Sunflower Sutra': \"Jack Kerouac sat beside me on a busted rusty iron pipe.",
"'Look at the sunflower,' he said.",
"\" Springsteen gave us our own flowering in the sun.",
"BORN TO RUN spoke so loudly and meaningfully because it spoke so universally.",
"Trapped in seemingly dead-end suburban small towns (just within sight of the New York skyline, but oh, so far away) we wanted so desperately to run, we dreamed of hearing that long, mournful train whistle blow, we wanted Dylan's vision of the soul in BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, but we also wanted the brash unrestrained energy of Bruce S.",
"on a hot, neon-encrusted night.",
"A Shaman with a guitar, he gave us visions: \"...",
"She dances across the porch as the radio plays.",
"\" The blonde wore Wayfarers.",
"Her name was Wendy.",
"Or Mary.",
"Or maybe it didn't matter as long as \"her eyes shone like the Midnight Sun.",
"She was the one.",
"\""
] |
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