Sunday, 7 June 2009
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die - war, drama
This ensemble cast delivered the goods and nailed each of their performances.
Tobey and Jake are very believable as brothers and Natalie was the true heart of this story as her beloved husband played by Tobey goes to a very dark place as a result of his experience in the war. All of the cast members were strong and made you really care about what happened to them.
I felt their happiness,pain and sadness.
Jim Sheridan the director is true to his style and storytelling theme about war and its effects on a marriage,family and forgiveness.
There was one scene with he and Natalie that reduced me to tears and that is not an easy thing to do, thus the five star rating which is well earned and deserved! Brothers
I am currently deployed in Iraq, first duty and hopefully my last. My significant other came back home from Iraq and totally cam back as a different person. This movie is as real as it gets. Highly recommanded. A truly magificant movie. Oscar winners in my book especially Toby. Left me speechless, he was right on the money.
I loved this movie. It instantly became one of my top 5 ever. Some of the films most intense moments are some of the most intense I've ever seen. Tobey Maguire deserves an oscar for this. Some critics have been saying that this movie is more of a melodrama than the original, but I would greatly disagreee. Great acting from all involved (including the dad) and terrific writing. After I saw it, I couldn't stop thinking about it the rest of the week. Highly recommended.
This is one of those times that I wish Amazon let us use half stars as I think this is more 3.5 stars than 4 full ones. I have not seen the Danish film and now I wish I had. This is because I just read here that in the Danish movie, the wife does start an affair with her brother-in-law. This film lost a lot of its punch when the director shied away from letting that happen in the American remake. As a result, it's as if someone punctured the air out of the movie past the halfway point. This should be a very taut, sharp drama throughout , which I suspect he Danish one is. The American one simply cannot sustain the same tension when the guts were removed from the script. The actors are very good, both the brothers and the wife. I think they make the best of what they've got. So the problem must be that director Jim Sheridan was worried about losing audience if he kept the film as stark as the Danish version (that a film is Scandinavian and stark borders on redundancy). This almost always happens in American remakes. We seem to do better when we use our own original source material.
This movie simply ran out of steam when it should have been revving it up. It lost me at the point where Brother Tom kissed the wife, and then went ..... where? Really seemed like the screenwriters didn't know how to imbue the story with the kind of conflict and emotion it needed.
BROTHERS
STARRING: Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sam Shepard, Bailee Madison, Taylor Geare, Patrick Flueger, Clifton Collins Jr., Ethan Suplee and Mare Winningham
WRITTEN BY: David Benioff; based on the screenplay Bodre by Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen
DIRECTED BY: Jim Sheridan
Rated: R
Genre: Drama
Release Date: 04 December 2009
I have always wondered if maybe Tobey Maguire had a dark side to him, buried away, deep behind that charming Peter Parker smile. Now that I have seen his disturbing performance in Brothers; I know that he does.
He plays Capt. Sam Hill of the U.S. Marine Corps and he does it miraculously. At first everything seems to be ok with Sam. He has a wonderful wife and two beautiful kids; a strong relationship with his father and he loves and defends his brother. However, all of that is about to change.
We learn early on in the film that he is to be shipped off to Afghanistan. He is proud to be a Marine and is equally proud to go.
Just days before he leaves, his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is released from prison. We don't know why, but Sam's wife Grace (Natalie Portman) isn't very fond of him.
Their father Hank (Sam Shepard) agrees with Grace entirely. In his eyes, the two brothers are worlds apart. Sam is the saint and Tommy is the family screw-up. Having been a Marine himself, Hank respects Sam and constantly puts Tommy down for not being more like his brother. There are some very well acted scenes between the three of these Hollywood greats; particularly the first dinner scene when Tommy is released from prison.
It's not a hard sell at all to buy Gyllenhaal and Maguire as brothers. Several people over the years have commented on their similar looks; they have been mistaken for one-another; and at one point Gyllenhaal was rumored to be relieving Maguire in the Spider-Man franchise. Their on-screen chemistry is more than believable, so fans will enjoy their scenes together, as did I.
The plot thickens when Sam's chopper goes down and he and his crew are believed to be dead. We know from the trailers, the opening credits saying Tobey Maguire's name first and just common movie-goer knowledge, that he is not dead. If you haven't seen the trailers, relax; it's revealed to us right away that he is alive.
Himself and another soldier have in fact been captured by the Taliban and are brought to a secret hideout in the Afghan Mountains. Having done a tour of duty there myself, I can tell you that wherever they filmed this sequence is very close to the real deal.
Sam is an officer and his counterpart is an enlisted Private. He constantly reminds him of their differences in rank throughout all of their scenes together.
I found this annoying as I don't think that nine out of 10 soldiers would be that over-zealous about their rank in a situation like this, but there is always that one guy. And it does serve a purpose as Sam is very good at reading people and can see that this particular soldier is weak and will most likely not be able to handle whatever sadistic torture their captors have in store for them.
I found the scenes in Afghanistan to be the most entertaining portion of the film and there are several of them. Tobey Maguire does an amazing job in these scenes and will show you dimensions of himself that you have never seen before. He is driven to do things that a lot of people may say they would never do in that situation; but I don't think any of us ever really know what we are or aren't capable of until we are put into a certain situation. This film will really make you ask yourself what you would do if you were in Sam's shoes.
I'm displeased to report that the rest of the film was a letdown. The only positive thing I really took from the rest of it, were the amazing performances of all the actors. There wasn't a single person in this film that didn't bring every bit of what they had to offer to each and every scene. Even small characters were casted well and delivered excellent performances. I don't know how they got Clifton Collins Jr. to do the two or three tiny scenes that he was in; but they did and he brought an impressive performance with him.
Natalie Portman is as amazing as ever. She plays Grace so effortlessly and has great chemistry with the actors playing her family. In the scene where she receives the news of her husband's death, she goes from smiling to an absolute wreck without so much as a second going by.
I feel Jake Gyllenhaal was cheated out of some screen time in the film. You never really got to know his character as well as you should have. Regardless of this, he still does a knock-out job with it anyway.
The same goes for Sam Shepard. I felt like this character should have had either a bigger part in the story or a smaller one. With an actor like Sam Shepard, the answer better be bigger. We get absolutely no closure from his character's issues in the film.
Scenes seem poorly edited and at times, too glamorized for this film. I feel like a lot of them were too bright and didn't fit well with the dark tones of the film as a whole.
The most disappointing piece of the film was the romance between Tommy and Grace. I kept waiting for there to be this moment where they fall in love for each other and have a secret affair; but it never happens. They have one intimate moment where they share a kiss and both of them seem to regret it instantly and it is never brought up again; because right after it they discover Sam is still alive.
I was expecting this huge love triangle to unfold. I think that based on the trailer and the poster alone, most would agree with me in thinking this is what was going to happen. There was opportunity after opportunity for there to be moments between them. Then when the romance never comes you are left wondering `what was the point of those scenes then?' Take the scene where she leaves in the middle of the night to go and pick Tommy up from the bar; or the idea of him offering to rebuild her kitchen for her. These are classic set-up scenes for a romance to ensue, and there is nothing!
I get the feeling that the filmmakers' intentions were not to have the over-done love triangle, and instead let it all be in Sam's head. For some, this may be a pleasant aspect of the film. I can even appreciate the originality in that; it's just that I kept expecting these other things to happen and when they didn't, I was disappointed.
I thought there would be hot and forbidden sex scenes; followed by the heart-throbbing suspense of them trying to cover it up, as they realize they are still in love even after Sam is back in the picture.
What we get instead is Sam returning and being wacked out of his frigging mind from the trauma he experienced over there. He is deathly thin and this adds a great deal to him being creepy. His children are afraid of him and his wife looks at him as if he is another man altogether.
Rather than the suspense, we just get what I would call annoying drama. Sam flat out confronts Tommy about sleeping with his wife, and Tommy never once denies having done so. Well no wonder the poor guy continues to think that something is going on!
As if that wasn't bad enough, one of Sam's daughters is so distraught that her daddy isn't the same anymore, she screams at him and tells him that her mother and Tommy have sex all the time. She yells this in front of everyone at the dinner table, and neither Grace nor Tommy says anything to comfort Sam by assuring him, this is untrue. Had it happened, this would have been a little bit more tolerable; but it didn't! Nothing happened! So why wouldn't either of them say something to deny it?
As far as I'm concerned, there was no justification for the daughter to act that way in the first place. There wasn't enough suspense of her daddy being frightening and different that would have caused her to do this. It seemed like two or three scenes between the two of them had been deleted and made it play-out wrong.
It's not a bad movie; just not what I had anticipated and looked forward to it being, nor is it what it could have easily been. I'm sure a lot of people will still enjoy it. In the meantime, to hold me over until another film delivers hot steamy romance mixed with suspense and a classic love triangle; I suppose I can watch Pearl Harbor again. - War - Natalie Portman - Drama - Tobey Maguire'
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Awesome
I got this at a local store on a whim and am sooo glad that I did! It's really strong and can fit tons of paper into each tray. I love that it will mount on a wall. I went back to get another one for sorting the kids' homework and the store had completely sold out already! Large enough for letter size or even construction paper, but not for legal. Wish they made it in black. Love it, though. Seville Classics Office Desk Organizer, Platinum Mesh 6-Trays
What a fantastic and well made product. Exactly what I needed to organize school work for the different subjects. I am also sure this will last a long time. Besides sitting on top of a desk, it also gives you the option to hang. The price was also unbeatable, considering it shipped directly to my house, and with free shipper savings.
This helps me keep my desk much more organized than if I'd decided against it. I have a nice printer (Canon PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II Inkjet Photo Printer) and have a variety of paper to print onto. This lets me keep all of it in one spot, nice and clean, without scrambling through drawers or closets to find the size I need. It comes with the hardware to hand it on the wall if desired (as well as pieces to hang it on a cubicle or similar type of wall), however I have not tried this out yet and cannot say how well it would work.
I bought my original Seville organizer at a local Costco. When I returned to purchase a second unit it was sold out, but I was able to find this great product on Amazon. It's very well constructed and works well on top of a file cabinet/desk or mounted on the wall. Excellent value.'
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Card Sleeves - card sleeves, made in usa
These sleeves are made in the USA, so you can be proud to support American workers. The sleeves are very sturdy. I have put up to five cards in a single pocket and they fit fine. This is a quality American product. 30 (Thirty) BCW Pro 9-Pocket Pages - Trading Card Supplies (Sealed 30 Count Pack) Made in USA!
They arrived earlier than expected.Extremely fast shipping.Items were exactly as described.This seller is A+++ will order from them again.They are a quality product much more durable than those I've purchased in stores.Highly recvommended product and seller.
Great quality item and it's made in U.S.!!!!
I'm sick of china made crap and it feels great when I can purchase something that was actually manufactured in our country!
Extra, fast shipping....as everything what gets shipped by Amazon.com
I'm using this to organize my coupons in a binder. Each page is thick and durable for the multiple times I'm in and out of them. With 30 pages at such a low price, I had more than enough to organize with lots of categories. - Made In Usa - Card Sleeves'
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Infrared Camera - game camera, infrared camera
I replaced an older trail camera of another brand with the Bushnell 8MP Trophy Cam. It is very simple to use.The menu is configured so that anyone can set up camera without having to refer to instruction book,after you read it once.There is some important info in it.
I have been using it to watch an automatic feeder a little over a month now.
It takes great pictures. I have it set on 5mp instead of 8mp. With the 32gb card I am using it says it will hold 999 pictures. So far it has taken just over 700 pictures and is still showing full battery life on the 8 batteries. Bushnell 8MP Trophy Cam Bone Collector Trail Camera
I bought two of these about a year ago. Just returned them to Bushnell for the second time. First time was for "runaway trigger". They took thousands of pic in about 8 hours of nothing. They replaced both of them. This time the cameras won't go into setup mode or turn on but the motion sensor stays on. They never took good quality pics. Always dark or fuzzy & I just thought that's how it is. A friend bought a Primos 46 and the difference is remarkable for a less expensive cam. i'll wait to see what Bushnell tells me but I know that I'll never buy another one. Three weeks until bow season & now I don't have any trail cams. Extremely disappointed.
I own this camera as well as a couple of its various brothers that are on the market. It's a fairly decent camera as far as the quality of pictures goes, but it, and its relatives, have one glaring problem that as far as I can see, Bushnell is ignoring. And that is the fact that they have a propensity to take pictures of nothing! They start taking pictures and just keep taking them. If a weed moves, it snaps a picture. If it's windy, it just keeps taking them. You wind up with a thousand pictures of nothing. I filled a 2Gb memory card in 9 hours with nothing to show for it. Putting it in video mode is just as bad.
They claim the batteries will last a year, and that's probably true, if you can keep the thing from taking pictures of the wind! To their credit, Bushnell did replace one of them when I sent it back complaining of this problem, but the new one has the same issues. There are better cameras on the market for the money. Save yourself the frustration and buy one of those.
First, I have to say that in addition to the Bushnell I own a Primos and a Moultrie, and the overall 'fit and finish' and engineering on the Bushnell is far better than the Moultrie, and slightly better than the Primos. My main complaint with the Bushnell is that the shutter is incredibly loud. My Primos is silent, the Moultrie a quiet click, but the Bushnell is audible 20' - 30' away. For game cameras, background noise *might* mask it - or might not. For a security camera, it is definitely out.The night flash is also bright, enough so to distract animals, and definitely to alert intruders if used for a security camera. If neither of these items is a particular issue for you, I'd strongly recommend the Bushnell, even though it does carry a premium price.Overall, mine is going back. I will be looking for a full 'black-out' IR flash, but I think I'll try the Primos first, so far I've been happiest with it.
This is the third hunting season that I used this camaera. Never had an issue with battery life. Stands to reason that if it is in video mode that the SD card will probably fill in an active area before the batteries die(place in LOW sensor level) I've gotten some decent shots of wildlife and under perfect circumstances, amazing photos and video. I do notice that 5-8%(300 pictures minimum) of my SD card will have ghost pictures or video (nothing there). Movement shots are blurred when trying to determine antlers. So each time I check on my camera I'm both excited and a little disappointed.
Oh, something that happened this weekend that has never happened before and resulted in a huge clean up of the internal camera compartment. There is a small hole at the bottom of the camera that is used for an external battery device. Note to self, if you're not using TAPE IT SHUT! I had the camera out for about 3 1/2 weeks and a family of spiders used the interal compartment for breeding, nesting,slaughter house and these little guys produced some kind of "sticky by product" that gummed up everything. The USB hook-up appeared as those honey had been poured in. Nasty clean up.
Overall I would recommend the camera.Hope it helps.
Day time picture quality is awesome. However, the quality of night time pics is mediocre at best which is disappointing as most big buck movement is at night. There are cheaper cams on the market with enquivalent night time pic quality. Two of my buddies experienced worse quality...black pics. Both are taking their cams back. - Infrared Camera - Game Cameras - Game Camera - Trail Cam'
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Bb Torch Skin
Okay, so the white case with the red BB does look a little goofy, but who's looking at your phone that closely? I purchased this case because I bought the matching case for my iPod Touch. There are a few gaps as other reviewers have said, but I don't find them bothersome. The case fits nice and snug and does not get in the way of talking, texting, or anything else. I have been using this case for two months now without any issues. I've gotten several compliments on the case, and if given a second chance I'd buy it again. Spring Flowers Design Snap-On Case for BlackBerry Torch 9800
I really like this case. Snaps on very easily, and seems very sturdy. I do wish I'd thought about what it would look like with parts of my red Torch poking through. The dark red with the pink flowers is a little goofy looking, but the case itself is pretty.
I've just received this snap on cover for a phone and it looks exactly like the picture -just what I expected. It's so pretty -I love the design. It was recieved in the amount of time it said it was going to be delivered, I love it, it's so pretty :)
Okay, totally disappointed with my purchase. I have a white BB torch and this white is like 4 shades down from my white torch. It looks horrible with the white one, I must say! As someone has already mentioned, it does have a gap in between and it looks very shabby. Bad Design. My phone can no longer slide in/out smoothly.
The design doesn't look good either. Pics can be deceptive.
I'm going for 2 stars only because it saved the screen when my phone fell down.
Yes it fits the BlackBerry Torch 9800 so that is true when they say it's compatible. But look at the picture very closely. Can you see the bottom where the AT&T logo is? That is EXACTLY what it looks like on my phone. Two stars off because of that. When you get a case like this, it's all about the looks. If it wasn't, get a solid case or no case at all
It fits and I guess if you aren't picky about a portion of the logo showing, go for it. The price is right which was a +. It is a tight fit but I'm guessing that if you drop it, it will crack.
It's a semi-shinny plastic and not meant to be dropped but I believe it could save your phone. So if you just have to have this design and don't mind the little flaws, it's worth the money.
Am I going to return it? No, not worth the shipping cost or my time but this review is.
I went with the Case Mate that is directly from the AT&T store when I got my phone. It was around $35 which is expensive for me but it literally fits like a glove. No gaps, no movement and it fits secure in my grip. It came in matte purple and matte blue. Thank goodness they didn't have more colors there, I would have bought them all. I've ordered two other cases (I am an accessories type of girl) but don't know how they fit.'
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Brake Pads - road bike, shimano
Put these on the rear of my trek 1.2 road bike. Far better than what was there before. The brakes are more linear in their application and instill more confidence in the rider. The initial break tip in is soft and the stopping power is very progressive with application of the brake lever. M0F0
UPDATE: August-2011
I bought another set of pads for the front of the bike a few months ago. It was just a matter of safety, and I did not want to compromise with anything less. It was a good idea, no regrets. Kool Stop Bicycle Brake Pads with X Pad (Dura-Ace/Ultegra)
Kept hearing about how great Kool Stop pads are but I never got to buying one. I have the "if it's not broken, don't fix it" mentality. My old brake pads wore off and I was in need of a new pair so I thought this'll be the chance to try them out.
Wow! Stopping power improved dramatically. I originally set my caliper brakes to be extremely responsive with very little room between the pads and my rim. After I put these on, I dialed back my lever's responsiveness just because a little contact on these does a lot more in stopping than the older pads I had on my brakes.
Overall, great!
I installed this set of brakes to the front wheel of my bike. I have to say that it is so much more superior to the stock brakes that I replaced with these. It helps me decelerate much quicker so that I am less hesitant to ride fast around busy city streets where cars can suddenly appear. Good brakes for the price.
I couldn't have been more pleased with this purchase. Additionally, if your bike already has a functional pad holders, this particular set includes a second pair of pads, allowing you to upgrade the entire bike with a single purchase. Braking is noticeably improved. I will purchase this item again.
My first Kool Stop brake pads were the Eagle 2, which replaced the stock Shimano pads on my MTB, and were a huge improvement, especially in wet weather (as well as putting an end to the destruction that Shimano was causing to my rims). Now I have a road bike, and after searching for a compatible set of replacement brakes, I chose these.
The performance is much better, especially in terms of modulation and consistency, and I can actually stop in the rain, though it does take a few rotations of the rims before the water is cleared off by the pads. I had to clean off the old Shimano brake residue from my rims by shoving a dampened, folded paper towel between each of the pads and the rim, and then riding for a few minutes while applying the brake (steel wool was not necessary in this case). I also had to buy four #12 washers to "widen" my Royal Gran Compe brake mounts as they were not quite wide enough for these holders.
The pads do not capture small rocks and road grit like the Shimanos, so I rarely hear a grinding noise from particles embedded in the pads. I have had the dual-compound pads mounted on the front for 2500 miles, and it looks like they are almost halfway worn, so I'd say they could make it to 5000 (I'm tempted to put the included salmon pads on afterward to get more value from my purchase, we'll see how that goes).
If you already have Shimano holders (Dura-Ace or Ultegra), then I recommend just buying the Kool Stop cartridges Kool Stop Bicycle Brake Pads, as the holders are virtually the same. You'll be glad you did!
While these Kool Stop brake pads do out perform & out stop the O.E. pads by a bit, by no way am I going all 5 stars. After reading all the other reviews, I was expecting something just short of a miracle. It didn't happen. And yes...I do have the brakes adjusted tight. The slightest movement on the brake handles & they are in contact with the rim.
Bottom line: Do they work better? Yes - a little. Are they worth that much extra ($$$) from normal pads you can pick up at your LBS (local bike shop)? Not in my book.
I got stuck in the rain and found my brakes didn't work very well at all. A quick visit to Google let me know that the Kool Stop salmon-colored pads would solve the problem. That's when I found these.
Another reviewer mentioned that the more expensive pads had additional adjustments, but they didn't mention what those adjustments are. Always in the past, I had "rubber on a stick" break pads -- a piece of rubber with a piece of all-thread coming out the side. Very cheap. These have a metallic holder and a funny looking washer. It took me some time to figure out that the washer was curved, and fit over a curved part of the holder. This creates a small "ball and socket" joint to allow aligning the brakes to the wheel.
Ideally, there are three axis to align. Looking at the side of the wheel, the pad should be parallel to the wheel. Looking at the wheel from the top, and imagining the tire is not there, the face of the brake pad should be parallel to the surface of the wheel. Finally, the pad should be "toed in" so the front of the pad strikes the wheel before he back of the pad. This prevents the brakes from screeching when brakes are applied.Just about any bike repair book or web site will show a picture of a rubber band tied around the back of the pad to allow the correct amount of toe-in. I've never been successful with all this -- probably because my rubber on a stick pads couldn't really be aligned, except for the first axis. But these holders make it possible to align all three axis.
What's even better -- these pads (both the salmon and the mixed) have a curved surface -- the front of the pad is thicker than the rest. Pad alignment is little more than squeezing the brake handle. It makes installing the pads much simpler, and it's very effective at keeping the brakes quiet.
I put these on a Cannondale R900 to replace the original Shimano pads. The bolt needed a couple washers and some coaxing during installation. No filing just a little push and turn. The pads provide great stopping power and are quiet. - Cycling - Road Bike - Brake Pads - Shimano'
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Replaceable Cartridges
For the relative inexpensive cost of this respirator, you get the face mask, 2 orgainc vapor filters and 4 regular filters. All the components fit together very well. It took me about 10 minutes to get used to the face mask, then I hardly noticed that I was wearing it. The obstruction of vision is quite minimal. Protect your lungs and buy this respirator instead of using the ineffective surgical mask type of filters. 3M R6211 Low-Maintenance Half-Mask Organic Vapor, P95 Respirator Assembly, Medium
I picked this up at local Lowe's while I was painting my house. I am also a hobbyist wood worker who like to finish his own projects. So far I have used this mask while using Latex paint, Varnish, Polyurethane, Shellac and dyes. Respirator worked flawlessly with all the above. I never smelled any of these chemicals while wearing the 3M respirator
+ Comes with extra filters in package
+ Easy to put on and remove
+ Will not interfere with my spectacles
+ Very comfortable (need to get used to it - for me it was less than 10 minutes)
+ Very adjustable, you don't need to pre-adjust the mask before wearing it. Simply pull the elastic after wearing it and it tightens. Similarly if you want to ease it, pull the plastic tab and you are done
+ Easy to breathe in (I do not feel the difference (breathing hard) while wearing the mask)
+ At $30/- this is cheap
Highly recommended
Light and easy to breathe through, I don't feel like I'm struggling for air like with some respirators. Vision is not obscured either. The filters in this are so good, I can't even smell paint or solvents when I have it on. This is a great respirator - clearly the best for the money when I bought mine. Highly recommended.
Use this for dust, insulation, paint, or anything. I've used it with a spray gun for several hours, and you don't even smell paint at all. It's very comfortable and night-and-day better than a paper mask. Make the small investment, you'll appreciate it.
I needed something to 100% filter out dust. I have 4 cats and 2 large litter boxes with 28 pounds of litter each. When cleaned or changed the dust is just a huge cloud and the smell of urin can be extremely powerfully overwhelming!! BUT with this mask there is 100% absolutely NO smell and NO dust. The filters on this mask are perfect!! I almost bought one without the organic filter BUT so glad I did buy this one. I can go anywhere with this thing and it's like breathing pure fresh air! The medium size is perfect for the average face and seals nicely on the face. If you're looking for a good mask for the job be it painting, spraying or cleaning the cat litter box this is it! I would give this 6 stars but cant. :)
I found the fit to be good. The mask doesn't have to be pulled extremely tight against my face for a good fit. I can breath easily through the mask, if I don't exert myself. I notice a slight resistance through the mask, if I'm exerting myself. However, I still felt comfortable. Well worth the money.
Amazon Review 3M Tekk Protection 6211 Paint Project Respirator
4 ½ stars- I bought this product specifically for its ability to block organic vapors in the 3M Hi-Tack 76 Spray Adhesive. It was an unqualified success in keeping those vapors out of my respiratory system. The one time I felt encumbered by it and removed it to do some detail work a nose length's distance from the project (inside a vehicle), I paid for it by spending a few hours the remainder of the day trying to clear my upper bronchial area and throat.
The respirator comes with 4 huge foldout pamphlets.
1 for the Organic Vapor Cartridge
1 for the Particulate Filter
1 for the respirator body
1 outlining the protections provided for 38 configurations of various respirator components.
Moreover, the user is directed to read and fully understand all of these instructions before proceeding AND before occupational use, a written respiratory protection program must be implemented meeting various government requirements! Some heavy duty stuff! Leads me to believe I bought the right one!
Assembling the respirator was otherwise fairly intuitive except for 1 small detail. Although it is probably stated somewhere, 4 particulate filters are included. They are compactly pressed inside their respective holders that snap on to the OV Cartridge. At a brief glance, it looked like the particulate filter housing just needed to be snapped onto the OVC and we would be ready to rock. One side kept popping off and found that each PF housing had 2 filters in it. Nowhere in the volume of instructional material does is mention to separate the PF filters, making sure to install only one per side. I believe the only place where 4 PF filters might be mentioned is in the description on the product before ordering. Also not mentioned (at least not in an obvious manner) is whether or not the respirator can be used without the PF filters. I presume it can because there is no warning cautioning against it.
Although the snaps and straps looked like they would be a rat's nest, they absolutely were not. One set fits over the back of the head and the other easily snaps together behind the neck. The one behind the neck has a fastener that makes it very easy to attach just by feel. I think the mask is extremely comfortable for the protection it provides.
The Organic Vapor cartridge is dated. The one I received had a use before date of 1/20/2016. It is not clear if that date is good only as long as it remains in the sealed package. Useful life is likely shortened after initial use, but I don't know yet by how much. So far, I needed it only for this project and has only about a total of 1/2 hour exposure to organic vapors.
The straps did not interfere with a pair of safety glasses that I used over a pair of very low profile readers from costco.
I dinged the rating only for the inexplicable irony of the lack of direction on how to deal with those particulate filters and lack of ease in gauging the life of the Organic Vapor cartridge(s).'
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Pull Up Bar - pull up, abs
I dunno if it's just me but when i position my arm using this thing on the pull up bar as it is shown in the picture, blood circulation to the arm goes down so my arm feels numb. I couldnt stay on this thing for long enough to get a good workout. Ab Straps for the Iron Gym Total Body Workout Bar
It works like it is suppose to, but the quality of the stitching is poor. After using it only once, I began to see the threading on the edge begin to fray and come apart. Just make sure you get a good stitched one and you will be fine.
These straps are a waste of money... don't bother. While the Iron Gym itself is an excellent product I'm almost glad they didn't come with it originally to keep the price down. Before I thought it was fickle not to include them but they're only a good idea in theory; straps are velcro adjusted so its repetitious to attach them and be level with each other. You get a better workout just supporting yourself with your arms and I prefer to prop my legs and hang upside down to work my abs anyways. They're low quality but on par with the price; seem sturdy enough but I've just thrown them in the corner of the closet and never use them.
Firstly, it is kind of disappointing that the Iron Gym workout bar didn't initially come with these and that I had to make a separate purchase to get them, but that's in the past, and now I have the bar and the ab straps, so moving along... The Iron Gym workout bar is firstly a great workout tool in itself. The way it installs in seconds, and the varying grip positions make it great for chin ups, as well as push-ups when used on the floor. I can get the result of doing 25 normal pushups by just doing 15 deep ones. About the only thing it falls short on is doing dips, and of course the ab straps. I normally do crunches on a Pezzi Ball. I tried the Iron Gym ab straps and wasn't all that impressed. Don't get me wrong, it is a semi-decent ab workout and the price isn't bad even just to try, but I noticed before I got to the point my abs were feeling really worked, my arms were feeling numb and tingling just holding myself up. And this is the problem, limiting reps. After 25 slow leg lifts, I just gotta let go.
There's little to no padding on these straps. After trying to use them for a few weeks and having them constantly cut and bruise my arms, I gave up and bought a different pair (Harbinger ones). While the cost on them is cheap, I would just put the money towards a better product or not buy these at all.
While this wasn't a big deal for me, I did need to slightly disassemble my pull-up bar to attach these. Just wanted to point that out to folks that maybe weren't aware of that. The replacement pair I purchased have a G-lock so I can remove them when I want to use the bar for pull-ups.
Definitely a good purchase and your abs will thank you. It took me a while to figure how to use it, since I'm short and I need a chair to do the abs on the pull up bar. But I figured it out and I recommend it to anyone.
i bought the iron gym and its a very good product. the ab straps make the product complete. they're a good way to stretch and work your abs. its better than laying on the ground and not getting the full workout from bending your legs back. if you got the iron gym you should get the ab straps. dont know why they dont come with the pull up bar. obviously to get some more money, but its worth it.
When I first tried the ab straps with the iron gym I was a little nervous because they didn't seem all that sturdy. They held up well under my weight (~180 lbs.) however. They work pretty well once you are comfortable with putting your faith in the fact that they will hold you. They allow for good range of motion with various ab exercises without sliding around on the bar. They aren't the most comfortable ab straps in the world (the padding doesn't seem all that flexible to fit to the shape of your arm), but this may just be that I haven't had a chance to break them in thoroughly yet. I wouldn't recommend using these as your primary means for working your core, but overall, a good but not great product that serves its role in providing a supplementary set of ab exercises. - Abs - Pull Up - Iron Gym - Fitness'
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Iphone Car Mount - dash mount, ipod touch
This mount was not a sturdy as I expected it to be based on the desciription. It is a bit bigger then I would have liked but it does have a nice big sturdy suction cup with releasing handle. I thought the pivots were a little loose. This unit is adjustable but each adjustable joint has play in it so it does not give you a solid feel but more then adequate to support your iphone which is what I bought this item for.
Bottom Line - Not as sturdy as described and bit bulky for a iphone but based on the price I would recommend this item. I have not found anything better yet to hold my iphone in the car. Heavy-Duty Universal Car Mount Holder for Cellphone, MP3 Player, iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, Droid, GPS Garmin, TomTom, Magellan
I've had this installed for couple of days now, and overall, I am disappointed. All of the adjustable joints have way, way too much leeway in them. When they "lock" in place, the joints are still able to move a good 1/4" up and down or side to side. As a result, my iPhone is bouncing all over the place on bumpy roads and wobbling constantly on smooth roads. Very annoying. The suction works fine, but the included dash mount was worthless, as the suction cup wouldn't stick to it for longer than 5 seconds. The suction works great on glass, though.
I bought this on sale so it really isn't worth it for me to return it, as I would lose too much in return shipping. I'm going to drill a couple small holes in the joins and insert some pegs to eliminate the looseness of the joints.
I bought this for a phone that doesn't have a custom car mount. The phone fits fine in the holder but it doesn't seem to stick to the window. I have cleaned the glass and also the suction cup. I have also removed the sticker on the suction cup.
I bought this to attach to my windshield to hold the iPhone during navigation. it doesn't work! so while the product sucks, it really doesn't suck enough to hold to the windshield. do your self a favor, buy a better brand, this one simplify doesn't work
First off, this thing feels cheap. The way it locks the phone onto the device leaves the phone a little loose. Secondly, the adjustments to verticle and horizontal positioning are too coarse making it very difficult to get the phone to face the exact angle desired. Finally the suction cup will not stick. After just a few minutes of driving, the suction cup lost suction and my iPhone crashed to the floor. There must be better mounts than this device.
This thing would not stick to any window in my car... I cleaned all windows and the suction cup many times and could never get it to stick for longer then a minute or two. I decided to keep it i just had to modify some things. Super glued the suctioncup to the base it came with then velcrowed the base to my dash. Also glued the joints once i found a position i like because there was a ton of play in the joints so my phone would bounce all over the place every bump.
I would highly recommend spending the extra $20 and getting a good quality one. This mount can work fine just not right out of the box. You will need to modify it.
This mount has worked great with my iPhone 4. Suction mount works great on my windshield. Arm rotates and spins many different ways. Sides slide out at push of a button. Holds phone securely. I think I'm going to buy a second one to have as a spare. - Dash Mount - Iphone Car Mount - Ipod Touch - Iphone'
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