Sunday, 29 November 2009

Kate Beckinsale - war, romance


Why does Hollywood have to make a three hour movie about a terrible day in US history and turn it into 'As The World Turns'? I could not believe that I sat through this piece of junk. It was 2 1/2 hours of 'General Hospital' and 1/2 hour of reality. It's a shame that Hollywood feels that 99% of the films that come out today must contain some kind of soap opera setting to satisfy what they think the lady folks wish to see. I find that to be rather insulting to women and I am not a female. There is nothing romantic about December 7,1941. It gets 1 star for the actual attack sequence. I must mention that I highly doubt that while they flew over head, the Japanese pilots were signaling to the American children to take cover. Silliness. If you wish to see a great film on Pearl Harbor, seek out 'Tora! Tora! Tora!' and let this one rot. Pearl Harbor (Two-Disc 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition)

The Vista Series has released the biggest and greatest DVD package ever assembled with "Pearl Harbor- The Director's Cut." The new 184 Minute cut is edited better. The attack sequence is more realistic and graphic, the reason for this cut's R-rating. And the four-disc set features hours of behind-the-scenes footage, two documentaries on the real attack and the Doolittle Raid, and commentary tracks from Michael Bay and Janine Basinger; Jerry Brucheimer, Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Alec Baldwin; The Director of Photography, Costume Designer, Visual Effects Supervisor and Composer. A great addition to the DVD collection. And if you think this is good, then get ready for the November release of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring- The Director's Edition" four-disc set! Movie Grade: A+; DVD Grade: A+

Lacking any kind of character development, this film falls far short of the bar set by other recent WWII movies, like SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Both Raf (Affleck) and Danny (Harnett) waltz through the film without any change in their demeanor, remaining young cocksure pilots, untouched by the events surrounding them. The enemy here is faceless and politically correct while death is Disney-fied and sterile. Also, strangely absent is the character's racial hatred of the Japanese, characteristic of the period. Micheal Bay's strong point has always been his fast and innovative cinematography, but it alone cannot fill the gap left by a sub par script. Like Titanic, this film is good for one thing only, visual effects. Written by the screenwriter of BRAVEHEART, another film with more good press than actual substance, the only reason PEARL HARBOR should be purchased by anyone is ILM's fantastic special effects work. The attack sequence alone is well worth the price of the DVD. And the great thing about DVD? You don't have to fast forward to the good part.

Let this be said at the outset, Touchstone Pictures' "Pearl Harbor" will not go down in cinematic history as the greatest film ever made. There are points of corny dialogue, as an actual history it is a disaster, and at some of its most crucial moments, the story suddenly goes oddly flat. Yet, in spite of its obvious shortcomings, it works reasonably well as an evocation of how the nation saw itself seeing itself, as well as providing some undeniably spectacular special effects and a love story that is better than the critics have made it out to be.The story is fairly straightforward. Two boys who grew up together as best friends fascinated by the daring-do of the World War I air aces, join the Army Air Corps on the eve of World War II. The older man, Rafe (Ben Affleck), is cocky, self-assured, and eager to be a hero. The younger man, Danny (Josh Hartnett), is sensitive, somewhat shy, and was presumably traumatized by his father's emotional breakdown after fighting in the trenches of France during the Great War. When Rafe joins the Eagle Squadron, a British unit for American volunteer pilots, and is subsequently presumed killed in action, Danny first comforts, and then falls in love with, Rafe's girlfriend, a Navy nurse named Evelyn - played by the lovely Kate Beckinsale. On the eve of the Pearl Harbor attack, Rafe returns - it transpires that he had been rescued by a French fishing boat and was hiding out in occupied France - causing a love triangle that is interrupted by the Japanese attack. In the end, Rafe and Danny reconcile just before both participate in the April, 1942 Dollittle raid on Tokyo, with Evelyn waiting back at Pearl to find out if her men will make it home from the mission.The critics have said that the portrayal of the attack is the strongest part of the film and that the love story is dispensable. Actually, the reverse is true. For a student of history, the "historical" aspects of the film are either inaccurate, incomplete, or simply false. Speaking as a Washington, DC area resident, it is unclear why the local audience did not break out in giggles when the Navy Department building that appears on screen is actually the House side of the U.S. Capitol. (One wag called it the Navy Department's House of Representatives annex.) The battle scenes, though indisputably gripping, are almost too glitzy, with Japanese and American warplanes performing tactics best suited to Star Wars X-wing fighters, and at least one shot with 1990's vintage aircraft carriers being included in a "fleet at sea" scene. This is mostly good visual stuff, but for anyone with a little historical knowledge, it is distracting. (One big exception - the sequence showing the capsizing of USS Oklahoma is very well done.)The love story, on the other hand, has all of the feel of a 1943 vintage romance and war movie. Somewhat hokey and a little overwought, but nevertheless compelling. The viewer gets a feel not so much for the times themseleves, but for the cinema at a time when Americans went to the movies both for entertainment and for reaffirmation. The movie evokes the world as it was in 1941 as viewed through the prism of moviegoers during the war and its immediate aftermath. It is a mixture of innocence, foreboding, nostalgia and cliche.To be certain, sometimes the story falls flat. Although Affleck, Beckinsale and Harnett all put in good performances, they do not have enough time - even in a three hour movie - to convey all the information that the viewer needs to be fully engaged with the characters. (The novel that came out with the movie fills in many gaps.) Also, the scene where Evelyn sees Rafe alive for the first time is oddly muted. Evelyn is shocked at first, but moves straight to confusion over her feelings for both Rafe and Danny. The expected intervening step - joy at seeing Rafe alive - never transpires, making the whole scene seem an anti-climax.Also, the movie never makes explicit that although Evelyn loves Danny, Rafe is her true love. Instead, she is made to seem that she is not making a choice, thereby draining some of the dramatic oxygen. Nor does it clearly explain on what basis Rafe and Danny seem to reconcile, instead there is a scene in which both characters seem to go from wary antagonism to renewed affection in a split second. (Again, the book clarifies much.)One other peculiar aspect of the movie is its rather grim tone - surprising in a summer movie. Although Wallace and Bay work tirelessly to bring out themes of pride and patriotism, they never fully succeed. It is just too hard to look at wrecked battleships and shattered corpses to feel all that good. Even the end sequences, which are emotionally the most powerful - and arguably the best dramatice scenes - in the movie, do not create feelings of patriotism so much as a sense of wistfulness. The audience feels happy for the characters, but it is mixed with a sense of loss. This will probably be effective with older audiences, but may lack the emotional lift that the under 30 crowd seems to require of its movies.Notwithstanding these weaknesses, the "period" feel of the movie works. The viewer gets a glimpse of movies circa 1943. Oddly, "Tora! Tora! Tora!," which is an outstanding and historically more accurate movie, fails to deliver in this category - the characters in that movie could as easily be in 2001 as 1941. (As to those critics who complain that "Pearl Harbor" is not about Pearl Harbor, you probably name your cats, Kitty, and your dogs, Spot.)As to the performances, almost all the cast perform well, if not always up to their finest earlier work. Affleck is convincing as the cocky pilot, and his sequences with Beckinsale demonstrate the same kind of restrained, and for that seemingly more authentic, emotion as he showed as the cocky ad agent in "Bounce." (Though, overall, he is better in "Bounce.") Beckinsale is gorgeous in 1940's vintage attire and hairstyle and brings off even the most cliched lines - and she gets her fair share - with a naturalness that makes them acceptable to 21st century audiences. Hartnett has the toughest job as the introspective Danny in a cast of very prominent characters, but pulls it off to remarkable effect.As to Cuba Gooding Jr., Dan Akroyd, Jon Voight, Alec Baldwin and the rest of the cast, all do creditable work. The one exception is the Japanese actor, Mako, whose Admiral Yamamoto is played without the subtlety that Soh Yamamura brought to the role in "Tora!, Tora!, Tora!." An occassional physical gesture, such as shaking his head with regret when he delivers the obligatory -for Pearl Harbor movies - "sleeping giant" line, might have made his character seem more real. Instead, each line is delivered as if Yamamoto was reading a cue card. (NOTE to the subtitle writer: It's "The rise OR fall of our empire..." not, "The rise AND fall of our empire...")Taken together, "Pearl Harbor" is not the strongest movie, but its feelings are real and it definitely taps into the anxiety, harshness,beauty, courage, and heroism that Americans equate with the movies of that period. That probably accounts for "Pearl Harbor's" bad reviews. The critics, and unfortunately probably most younger audiences, want an action story or a love story, and cannot relate very much to, or empathize with, evocations of a world long since past and that seems, in retrospect, pitiably naive. That is sad, but less for the talented and underapprecited cast and crew of "Pearl Harbor," than for the viewers who will see it. - Ben Affleck - Kate Beckinsale - Romance - War'


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Planers - planers, rigid


Planes boards to a perfectly smooth (nearly mirror) finish. Width of finished board is (as far as I can tell with my precision) dead on. I like the adjustments on the side for repetitive cuts (1/8,1/4, .. etc). The cut depth gague in the front is nice so I accidentally don't try to make it take too much board at once then it can handle. Powerful! This planer seemed to laugh at the 10 inch wide oak boards I sent through it. I cut the boards from a tree with a Alaskan chainsaw portable sawmill. Each board needed numerous passes to get it down to nice smooth usable lumber. The blades lasted quite a long time. Changed blades after 20 boards, 10' long, 10" wide, receiving around 5 (on average) passes per side, I just turned around the blades and continued planing. The double sided blades are nice. I had an old 12" delta and as I used to either have to get the blades re-sharpened or throw them out once the single side had dulled.



As always... love the lifetime warrenty



Cons:

The hex wrench that came with it for changing the blades stripped and was unusable almost immediately. It was stripped before I changed the first blade. I actually find it easier to use a standard hex wrench for the leverage. Just have to be careful....



Dust collection is "ok", but I don't expect perfection from my 5.5hp big box store shopvac... Ridgid R4330 Planer, 13-Inch Thickness

If your going to buy one of these units make sure it's the newer version three blade. At some point in the last year or so the design changed slightly and they added a third blade. Home Depot carries these in both the new three blade version and two blade version. Same model number and SKU#. The older vs has a tool box located on the left side of unit, looking at it from the entry side. The newer version the tool box is located under the exit tray. (Heads up)



We have had one of these for about four years. Only used on a couple of projects. The unit works great as long as you use dry wood. We bought some Premium 2x6's at Home Depot and on the third to fourth pass the motor on this unit fried. The so called Premium wood was still to wet for the two blade version Turns out that Ridgid won't honor the lifetime warranty.



Also the dust collection on the older version clogs too easily, even when your using a commercial shop vac system.

I purchased one of these about 3 1/2 years ago and can't stop emphasizing how good the peformance has been, especially at the price. I am a woodworker that builds just about everything I'm asked to. I've been using this planer consitantly, at least 3-4 hours a week for the last year...I cut my own lumber, joint it, resaw it, and plane it with this item.



I too have never changed the blades...not to say that they can't give better cuts if I did, but the fact that they have performed so well (for so long) to this point amazes me. I plane all kinds of woods...pine, douglas fir, oak, gum, persimmons (white ebony), hickory, and alot of cherry and black walnut. Alot of hardwoods listed!



Other reviews don't speak as high as they should due to processes they shouldn't be doing...wet wood is a no-no on any planer. When properly hooked up to a 4" dust collector system, it works great. Maybe a wrench that arrives to change the blades out is junk...but the planer itself is what this review is on. It may not be as powerful as some may have predicted, but for the cost it's awesome, just take lighter cuts.



Best Bang-for-Buck...and FYI, I'm not an employee of Rigid...I am a constant customer of Home Depot.

I've had my Ridgid 13" planer for several months now.. Run a lot of wood through and it works great. However, blade changing time comes along.. Most of the screws that hold the blades have welded in place.. Apparently, the cutter head is aluminum and the screws ( metric ) are steel. Dis-similar metals corrode and seize.. After ruining the cheap tool they send to remove the screws as well as another hardened wrench, slotting the top of the screw, chilling the screw with dry ice and several other methods, I'm probably going to have to grind the screw heads off, remove the blades and then attempt to get the threaded stud out of the hole.. If that doens't work, you replace the $140 cutterhead. From reading reviews, this seems to be a recurring problem..

I bought Ridgid's newest model thickness planer after I had beat the older model to death with daily use for over a decade. The brushes on the motor finally gave on the old one so I got the new one with plans to have the old one refurbished when I have time.



This newest model has plenty of power for me. I make historic window replicas and use this machine almost daily. I bought both machines, my old one and this new one at Home Depot so I wouldn't ever be without replacement blades, even on a Sunday.



So blade change time came and I went to Home Depot only to find out that my Home Depot only carries the blades for the old machine, even though they haven't sold it for years, and only stock the new machine. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth.



But the part that makes this particular machine not worth the money isn't that. It's the blade changing design. These machines are designed to have the blades changed. No big deal. But you have to be able to get the blades out.



The old model used hex head bolts to fix the blades in place. That was a good idea. The new model uses allen head bolts that are rounded over on top. You use an allen wrench to get the blades out. That was a bad idea. Bad idea because if one of the bolts strip out, like four have done on mine, they are impossible to get out and change your blades. I can't get a wrench around it to turn it or anything, not even needle nose vise grips. Such a shame.



Now I have to remove it from the stand and take it in to get serviced, which means serious down time. Oh well. You live and learn. I guess next time I know what else to look for when I buy one of these machines. - Rigid - Benchtop Planers - Planer - Planers'


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Scarves - hip scarf, belly dance hip scarf


I adore this hip scarf. It has a wonderful sound and nice feel. The weight is great for beginners because you can really feel where you are moving. I was rather disappointed that what I ordered was "navy blue" but is actually a bright (beautiful) royal blue. Shipping was very fast and it arrived a full day before amazon.com's tracking said it would be here.



*just a note for larger women*

As a large hipped woman (size 16), the beading will not go all the way around you; not that I expected it to as the model is rather small. Mine goes from about hip to hip. I plan on ordering another one and putting them together for full coverage. BellyLady Multi-Row Belly Dance Hip scarf, With Silver Coins And Black Beads BLACK

This hip scarf is adorable! It has a nice, heavy, weight to it so it hangs very nicely. It seems to be well made, and NOT like some of the cheaper scarves out there that are just that...CHEAP. Also, jingles and shimmers as you walk - I even wore it over a pair of black "beach" pants and a top while on a recent Caribbean vacation and received MANY compliments! I ordered that black and am VERY happy with my purchase!

I have several hip scarfs but this one is my favorite. mine is in blue. the craftmanship is excellent and it exceeded my expectations! you get alot of jingle with your shimmy's which makes this lots of fun to wear when dancing. I highly recomend this scarf, you will not be disapointed!

I plan to order a couple more of these. they are heavy, have a nice sound and the design is very fun and short. Sometimes it is nice to have a small scarf to use.

They are just perfect for class use.

I highly recommend this scarf for beginners and more advance dancers.

If you want to get more out of your Zumba workout get this hip scarf!!! It really makes you aware of your body movements as the lovely jingly silver coins just sing with the beat of the music. I am a size 18 and it fits me fine. There is a gap in coins... but not enough to keep me out of it. I look forward to the day when the coins come together!! Get it... you'll be glad you did.

I just love this hip scarf and have gotten so many compliments on it. I wear it to Zumba and I love hearing it jingle. I did not receive the tote bag that they are offering with it now. That is a shame because it would have been nice to have the bag to carry it with me to my Zumba class.



The one thing I didn't like was the high shipping rate. Not sure why it needs to be that high when it just comes in a letter size bubble envelope.

The scarf arrived quicker than expected. I love that the only embellishment on the ties are at the ends. Makes it possible to tie well, without worrying about beading or sequins. It is advertised for practice and is holding up well, but with the quality, I will be wearing this for performances also! The weight and sound, perfect. I chose this scarf because it looked to not be as long as many others. I was not disappointed. The length down the leg and coverage in back is as pictured. Great for a short dancer who doesn't want a scarf to reach the knees.

I received many compliments in class. Will be ordering a few other colors! - Belly Dance Hip Scarf - Bellydance Wear - Scarves - Hip Scarf'


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Play Table And Chair Set - kids furniture, childs table and chair set


I bought this set at ikea last year for $25, which is a steal for a table with 2 chairs. The surfaces are a white backer board type material, and the wood is all unfinished birch, so I painted the table and the chairs and put decals on it and I think it looks really cute. My 3 year old son uses it a lot, the chairs get dragged all over and stood on, and I haven't had problems with it so much as loosening at the bolts after a year of use. I don't think it would stand up to captain destructo and his crew of rowdy kids, but if you want a nice little table for your child to color on and sit at, this is a bargain. The above reviewer commented on how the table broke in after her daughter stood on it, I can see how it might not hold up to a kid standing on it regularly (though my kid uses the chairs to get at toys and the light switch frequently) but it does have 2 stabilizer bars under the table top, so I'm inclined to think that the table may not have been assembled properly for it to cave in after standing on it once. But, for kids that know not to stand on tabletops this is a nice little set. I should also mention, the table and chairs are a bit smaller than the usual ones you see, just shorter by an inch or two, but that makes it great for smaller kids and maybe not as ideal if you have a big kid. My son got it when he was 2 and it has grown with him nicely, he's now 3, but I can see that maybe in a year it will be too small for him. IKEA Children's Kids Table & 2 Chairs Set Furniture

I bought this set from local IKEA store for only $19.99. I don't understand why it costs more online. Anyway, it is very easy to assemble and looks very cute. The chair is smaller than other kids chairs. But that is perfect for little ones. Mine is 14 months and I know this is a perfect size for her. For this price, I would say this is a steal. But I am still concerned about the top which is made of cardboard. What if water spills or the little one tries to climb on it? Have not tested it yet. But I am thinking of returning them back to the store and buy another set made of solid wood. But of course, solid wood set costs much much more....

The table is very plain, which is fine! However I love that it is so easy to wipe down after we color or paint. The table is very sturdy, in addition to the chairs. I read that the table broke after someone's toddler stood on it, my child hasn't tested that out yet! Yet I am sure it would be fine. Great price, great product!

I ordered this for my 2 year old twins. The quality is horrible. I would assume if it was made for children, it would be kid tested and durable. My daughter sat on the table and the top fell in. Shortly after one of the legs on the chair broke. Needless to say, it only lasted a month in our house before all was broken.

It's an IKEA product so don't expect it to last more than a few years at best. A bit flimsy but aa fun first table and hairs for a toddler. Our 15 month old tends to want to stand on the table so this is NOT for unsupervised toddlers.

My daughter loves having her own little table & chairs set, she uses it for coloring, playing on her little 'laptop' & having snacks. I admit when I opened the box & began putting it together that I was not very optimistic at all about how this would hold up to a toddler; the white, cheap, board-type material arrived with a small crack in it already & seemed very flimsy. But the table has wooden boards placed underneath that give it some good strength, so I was much happier with that. I wish the chairs had the same kind of reinforcement in the seat, I think that I may have to rig them somehow in the future, or at the least take a bead of wood glue around the edges underneath. Its a pretty small set anyway and I can't see it fitting her much past 3 1/2 or so. Still after comparing prices on other kids tables so far I am very glad I purchased this set, you can't beat the price, so easy to put together, and I believe it will work fine for the few years we will have it around. - Play Table And Chair Set - Kids Furniture - Ikea - Childs Table And Chair Set'


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Playwriting


A veteran high school teacher provides intriguing and carefully developed exercises to inspire high school students in developing skills in playwriting. Maureen Brady Johnson's expertise in sparking student creativity is evidenced not only by the inspired exercises she's developed, but by the samples of student writings she includes. Starting with photographs of shoes abandoned on highways--which can be used as the starting point for monologues--Johnson nurtures her students as they develop monologues, then dialogues, then increasingly complex and sophisticated theatrical pieces. This is a book for all who work with creative writing workshops and courses--and for all who aspire to write themselves. The exercises are clearly and fully explained--and, to this university theatre professor, pedagogically sound. Highly recommended. Shoes on the Highway: Using Visual and Audio Cues to Inspire Student Playwrights

Oh, what a different sort of guide to teaching playwriting! The author (and playwright and teacher) is clearly an expert at sharing the tools needed to write a stageworthy play. And she makes it fun, lots of fun. Like the best writers and teachers everywhere, Maureen Brady Johnson takes the everyday and makes it new -- whether it's a rock on a college campus where students paint (and repaint) messages, Halloween vampire teeth, or a shoe on the highway. Lessons are clearly described along with their objectives. Teachers and writers alike will soon find their copy of this book (like mine) dog-eared from use!'


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Cat 6 Ethernet Cable - cat 6 ethernet cable, cat6


12/23/2010 - I ordered two of these and they arrived yesterday, 10 minutes later I was submitting a return. In the close up image shown the cable has protective sleeves over the clip, but what they sent did not. I can't see in the description that they say it has protective sleeves, but I went by what they showed. I specifically wanted a cable with the sleeve since I need it to replace a cable that didn't have one and the clip broke off when it snagged on something pulling it through. I hope they update the image to show that there are no sleeves so others don't get caught in this mistake like I did. At the same time I ordered a 50ft just like this one, it too showed sleeves and it does have them. Just to be on the safe side, I chose to pay a bit more and ordered from a different company after submitting my return. I had to get 25ft as I couldn't find anyone who had the 10ft in stock. It's a great price, and the delivery was super fast but I just didn't get what they showed they were selling. RiteAV - Cat6 Network Ethernet Cable - Blue - 10 ft.

These cables are worth every penny. They are of the highest quality. I was surprised by the quality considering the price. I shopped around and these cables are better than some I have bought for twice the price.

I was having intermittent disruptions in my internet service and my peer-to-peer network was also failing intermittently. Everything was about five years old. I lost the built in network interface cards in two of my computers. My router is in a service closet in a small office building. There are other electric items in the service closet. We also had some rolling brown outs. I got a new surge protector that I could run my network cables through. I replaced my router and got shielded cables. The problems are gone. (Almost everything is new). I got these cables because they were advertised as shielded. My old cable was category 5. I have since discovered that there is now a category 7 which may be advertised as shielded. I replaced part of the cable with sheilded category 7 which I ended up getting at Fry's for about the same price as was available on line. This vendor was slow to ship and the cables do not have the releases as shown in the picture, but I never take them out anyway. The other Amazon vendor I tried, did not have the cables in stock, contrary to their advertising. Don't recall their name.

OK, I think I figured this out. When you order if your order is from RiteAV and is fulfilled by Amazon then you may get cables without protectors. That is what I received. However at the same time I ordered some more (different length) cables that were fulfilled by a company called CiTi Electronics instead of Amazon. All the CiTi cables had end protectors. I just returned the non-protector cables and ordered a set from Citi, I will update this entry when they arrive. - Network Cable - Cat 6 - Cat6 - Cat 6 Ethernet Cable'


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Color - colored markers, art supplies


I tried the original 'fine' bic mark it pens and really liked them. They have a pretty great range of colors AND best of all - they sell open stock of their colors. ALL of the colors. No such luck with the 'other' guys. With the limited edition approach they take, to replace $harpie colors you need to buy several that you don't need in order to get the ones you want - wasteful and expensive. With the bic pens that's not a problem. But I require ultrafine point markers. I need the precision for details. And now the marker gods have answered - with these bic markit ultrafines!



The 36 set has all the colors available. So for detail you can use these, if you need to cover more space you can use the 'fine' point ones. I've never cared for the definition of 'fine' points. Because they kind of aren't. These I would consider a fine point and the .005 type pens I would consider ultrafine. Anyway that's not important. What is important is that these are:



nice pens, comfy to hold

good range of colors

the ink flow is good, doesn't drip or pool up

the size of the markers is the same as the fine point ones. the only difference is the tip which means it has a really decent amount of ink in there

the case it comes in is a kinda cool foldout thing to store the markers

really nice price for a 36 set - cheaper than the other guys which is only 24 - AND with open stock if you have a fave that always runs out first



If you're a $harpie fiend like me then give them a try. As for me, these have become my new old faves.



Also for anyone who needs to know the package also states:



Acid-Free Ink*

*no added acid;no measurable PH - this means that there may be a little in there but not enough to worry about. Just a part of the process to make the markers most likely. I guess this matters for rubber stamp people or scrapbookers? Not sure but anywho, now you know.



Also consider that you have to put something down under the paper you're using. These - like all permanent markers - WILL bleed through. BIC Mark-It Color Collection Ultra Fine Permanent Marker, Assorted, 36 Markers

I've been a huge fan of felt point pens since the 60's when I used to use the ones my Dad kept on his desk for detailed drawings of all my favorite creations. When I got old enough to buy my own gear, Flairs, Expresso's and Sharpies were always big favorites. But having tried these Bic's, they may just yet take the prize. The color selection is fabulous, the line quality and color intensity is great, the feel in the hand is much more comfortable than a Sharpie (though I never felt myself complaining about them) and they're just a complete delight to work with. Yes, they are permanent, so don't use them without taking that into account, or you might just stain something you don't mean to. The package these 36 pens come in allows you to spread the pens out while keeping them in control, then pack them back up for easy storage with just two folds. Very clever. I can highly recommend these to anyone who enjoys using top quality felt tip permanent markers for drawing, sketching, coloring or writing (on very high quality paper).

I love Mark-It pens. The ultra fine ones come in a lot of colors including pastels which are fantastic for Shrink Film 8-1/2 Inch X11 Inch Sheets 6/Pkg-Clear because when you shrink plastic the colors intensify and darken quite a bit so a hot pink marker will come out looking more red or burgundy than pink.

I've also used these on domino pendants. The pendants do have to be sealed after coloring, but the colors dry well without smearing. For crafty purposes, these are my favorite permanent markers.

The price is just right too for a lot of colors.

I have been using Sharpie ultra fine point markers for years and really like them but thought the price of this product couldn't be beat and thought the assortment of colors looked great on the page. When I started to use them over half the colors are very similar and don't come out well. I also found the tips are not half as good as sharpie. The basic colors are good but I feel Sharpie is much better

1. When I buy 36 markers, I expect to get 36 recognizably different colors.

2. The color/hue on the tip, band, and clip of the pen was so different from the color of the ink that I had to tape a "cheat sheet" to the container to remember which pen was which color. No pastels except peach in the set; all others were of at least a medium hue.

3. Ultra Fine apparently means Medium to Bic. I needed Ultra Fine markers for my project, not Medium. Thus the two-star (not three) rating.

4. The pens bleed like a head wound. On the Dover Publications Mystic Mandala coloring book, where designs are printed on both sides of the page, I colored one side and got an impressionistic version on the other, effectively rendering one colored page into two.

5. The packaging is a nice three-fold design that can stand on its own, yet folds compact.

6. The actual colors are vivid and lovely.

7. Finally, it's a great price for 36 markers.

I purchased these pens from Amazon, after not being able to find this particular set at any retail store. My daughter wanted them for her lettering hobby, and we had been looking for pens like these for months. She needed colored pens that were not thick-tipped like felt-pens, but not super thin like pigment liner pens. She has been using them practically everyday since they arrived, and says they are "great". I will definitely buy them from Amazon again.

I bought these markers because I like to make really detailed drawings. You can make really thin lines if you are quick, but I discovered that these markers work even better for filling in with color. The colors blend well and a lot of ink will come out if you draw slowly. I love the tips. I love the case they come in.



The selection of colors in the 36 marker set is fantastic. I haven't used up the ink in any of my markers and I've been drawing/coloring with them a lot. If I do use up the ink, I am just going to buy more because I love them so much. - Color - Colored Markers - Marker Pens - Art Supplies'


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Color - colored markers, art supplies color Color - colored markers, art supplies

Optical Mouse - optical mice, mouse


This mouse is extremely cheaply made. In addition to being small and therefore uncomfortable to use, it is also very flimsy. I dropped it two feet from the ground one day, and it broke to about 5 pieces. Black 3-Button 3D USB 800 Dpi Optical Scroll Mice Mouse w/Blue & Red LEDs For Notebook Laptop Desktop

I ordered 5 and was billed separate shipping on each, making these a little more expensive than I originally thought they would be (and probably more than they are worth.) They work okay. The cursor tends to "drift" when you are not touching the mouse. Also, there is no blue light on these bad boys (one of the reasons I chose this model was because of the red and BLUE lights pictured and in the description), only a red light. Que sera sera... you get what you pay for. Not bad, but I don't think I'd purchase this particular model again. And the picture and description of the blue and red combination is misleading (or I guess you could more accurately say it is a bald-faced lie).

This mouse works great but not on just any mouse pad. Everyone who sees it, comments on it because of the attractive lights. It performs well on a surface that is not slippery. Great choice for a wired mouse.

I thought the colored light in the mouse would be cool but it's just annoying. It constantly flashes and drives me crazy. Very cheaply made plastic and not intended for heavy use or gaming. I wish I would have spent a little more to get a better quality mouse instead. It also clicks too loud. You get what you pay for.

I bought this initially because I loved the colors, and I've never seen a mouse as pretty as this one. However, I noticed upon arrival that the materials used to make this seemed very fragile, and within two weeks my guess was confirmed. It broke. So, I went to buy ANOTHER one, and the same thing happened. It fell ONCE and then suddenly stopped clicking. Sad, but true. - Wheel Mouse - Portable - Mouse - Optical Mice'


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Pocket Projector - mini projector, pico


I had pre-ordered this projector for almost a month before it was shipped, which gave me time to contemplate my purchase decision. I went around to the shops and checked the PK 201, 102 models and other brands like the 3M pico projector and the Samsung palm sized LED projector. Especially that I have a full size DLP HD projector that i bough last year. The inconvenience of having to setup the screen and the speakers in the garden to watch a nice cinematic experience on giant screen reduced these occasions to just a handful through a year. I had high hopes for the portable battery operated projector but I was aware of the fact that its power was low and can only be used in dimmed rooms.



It finally arrived, and much to my surprise it beat my expectations just out of the box. it looks and feels better than any of the other ones i have examined first hand. The casing is sturdy and compact although the zoom swivel looks fragile.



The picture quality is very good and can certainly beat the quality of a regular TV. i used it with a nokia micro SD card from my old mobile and i ran a slide show on the ceiling with short videos it took my breath away. i hooked it up to my iphone and watched a full movie in my bedroom in full widescreen mode, you will be in for a good surprise :) you only need the AV cable for the iphone or ipad and a bluetooth or wired earphones and you have you 100% portable cinema box that fits in your pocket. I also tried it with apple TV connected through the HDMI link. It delivers a very nice picture. the built in speaker is good enough for my kids to watch cartoon while sitting just behind the projector.



Although I love this projector i have a few comments to make.



The battery life is not enough for one full movie and does not charge well if you operate the projector while it is plugged to power source.

It heats up a little too quickly, i know it is summer time but in 10 minutes it's casing is hot.



With that said, my final verdict is still excellent and highly recommended.



I also recommend the following accessories:

1) A small tripod is very important for ventilation and also positioning

2) The remote is very handy because the buttons on the projector are small and as they dim you cannot make out which button you are pressing. also good for slide shows and short videos off the memory card. Optoma PK301 Pico Pocket Projector

I use this projector for video and image files. In my opinion, it is best suited for impromptu displays for groups of 5 people or less. I always load all my materials on a 16GB class 6 Micro SD card which I leave plugged into the projector. I seldom use it connected to my linux gear, tho it works fine with all my 'nix machines including my Nokia N900. It's great for quickly displaying something on a white board in someone's cubicle. You don't need a lot of complicated equipment and a laptop because everything is thoughtfully self-contained.



Although software does come with the projector for converting PowerPoint presentations to a portable format that can be loaded to an SD card (as well as converting videos), I don't use that software because it's for windows and I'm not a windows user.



The PK301 is larger than my 3M Pro120 with greater resolution and a significantly brighter/sharper picture. I don't notice any of the rainbow effects that are sometimes a nuisance on my 120. It throws a 32 inch diagonal 16x9 aspect picture from 4ft away which is bright enough to be enjoyed in most office lighting conditions (overhead florescent). Usually, I'm just holding the projector at belly button height. The focus-ring is great and makes it easy to get a tack-sharp picture. You can operate all the controls with your thumbs because they are centered on the top of the machine with the exception of the on/off button which is on the side. It accepts a camera tripod (not included), and I bought a mini-one to set on a desk/table top for when I connect to my netbook or something.



Battery life is much, much less than the 3M (I get about 30-40 mins), but unlike many projectors, you can use the power cord while the projector is running for unlimited working time.



I use Mpeg 4 video formats with this projector when playing programs from the Micro SD card. I experimented with several tweaks and bit rates and discovered that the internal video player software cannot play variable bit-rate MP4 encodings. It does, however, play constant bit rate, quality, or quantization videos very well. I settled on MP4, Level 5, 720x408p (yes, 408 - remember it's 16x9), 29.97fps, constant quality 13, with 128kbps AAC 48khz audio. You need a class 4 or above SD card because the video will stutter if played from a class 2.



While you're playing a video, the < and > buttons allow for RR and FF, and the up and down buttons control the volume. The remote (sold separately here at Amazon) has an additional volume control on it as well as a mute button. You can shut off the projector from the remote, but you cannot turn it on. And order yourself a CR2025 lithium battery for the remote (it doesn't come with a battery). I got mine at Target, but they can be hard to find.



And at the end of the day I set the projector on the hotel nightstand and flip the tripod head to vertical. Then I can lie in bed and watch a movie or music videos on a 50" video picture projected on the ceiling (which is almost always white in hotels). I can shut off the projector and there's no lingering cooling fan to keep me awake.



--- UPDATE



The internal media player cannot play Video files > 2,048MB. If a movie exceeds that, the directory shows a negative size (meaning the code doesn't use long integers) and you'll get an error message about an unrecognized format. You must break the movie into smaller files or reduce your encoding quality to constrain the movie to 2GB. - Pico Projector - Pico - Led Projector - Mini Projector'


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Barbecue Tools - grill, grill brushes


Nothing complicated about this tool. My husband loves the simplicity...no cords, batteries, etc. Works on the principle of heat, steam and friction. You heat the grill, and the combination of movement and water cleans the mess. He was skeptical before he opened the package, since it appeared too simple. That's the beauty of it. It's simple, easy to use, inexpensive, and it works! More products should be designed with this philosophy in mind. Grill Dozer Steam Cleaning Grill Cleaning Tool

This is the best grill brush I've ever used. It works exactly as described and does a great job of cleaning my Weber grill. I bought one for each of my kids as a stocking stuffer this Christams since they too have a problem with grill brushes. I love that it can go into the dishwasher. Highly recommended.

We got our new grill and decided to splurge on an unnecessary gadget. The first one was defective and the briush did not lck into place. I contacted the seller--no problem they immediately sent a new one prior to receiving the defective returned one. My husband now is excited by the prospects of a dirty grill and obsessively keeps on top of it.

...than I have had. The Grill Dozer worked pretty good the first two times I used it. On the third time it wouldn't spray water out through the hole as it was supposed to. Hmmmm. Pulling the trigger and nothing is coming out. Oh well, guess I will just shake it and clean the grill that way. Shake and scrape! Not what I thought I had signed up for. I took The Grill Dozer (pretty cool name I have to admit!) back inside and tried to figure out what the problem was. I tried to look inside and was shaking it and something was rattling around inside. Kept shaking in hopes that whatever it was would fall through the hole where you put the water in. But nothing came out. Tried pouring it out with the water...nothing. Oh well, guess I could use it as a very large and dangerous baby rattle. I imagine whatever is rattling around inside has something to do with why it is not squirting water out like it should. I should have been a detective. Oh, also the rubber piece that covers the water fill hole broke off after the fourth use. Probably broke off from all the shaking, between using the shake and scrape method and trying to shake out the loose piece rattling around inside. So what we have here is another fine product Made in China. Go figure. They got us by the...nevermind. I'm not going there. If you just want to use this as a regular grill brush I guess The Grill Dozer is not bad. Just don't count on any water being involved, as advertised. Then again you could find a regular grill brush much cheaper. So for me this is a bust. Maybe you will have better luck. I've always been pretty unlucky anyway.

Great product, makes easy job of cleaning grill. Just spray the water and scrub, You don't even have to scrub that hard and in seconds you are done. Just make sure the grill is still hot when using does a better job.

I purchased four of the steam grill cleaners- one did not work- water did not squirt out of the end -have to pursue with the company to see if they can send me another one. Worked reasonably well and my son-in-law really liked it. I like that it has a detachable head to put in the dishwasher to clean. Metal Bristles and scraper are very sharp so be careful.

If you only want a nice steel wire brush for cleaning the grill, this will work fine. The steam cleaning aspect of it is no better than you would get with a water gun or dipping the grill brush in water. So that being said a little overpriced for just a cleaning brush for your grill.

I purchased this to replace a motorized steam cleaner. It works very well, without batteries. The steam cleaning is similar and the long bristles reach into to spaces on my grill to remove all of the built-up residue. - Grill Brushes - Barbecue Tools - Bbq Brush - Grill'


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Reels


I have extensively used the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur Record Baitcast Reel for the past two-plus years for my Musky and Northern Pike fishing. The Record works great with many Musky and Northern Pike surface and sub-surface baits, along with deep and shallow running crankbaits. The Record's cast and retrieve is "silky smooth". The thumb-bar release feature works great for ease in casting. The retrieve, due to the combination of an over-sized reel handle and high-quality ball bearings make retrieving baits effortless, especially when you are fishing long hours on the lake or river. Other nice features is a magnetic anti-backlash drag which adjusts easily to the weight of the lure and a superior star drag system for fighting fish!!! I like to spool-up my Record reels (I own three) with 80# Power Pro line for Musky and Pike fishing. You could also use 65# Power Pro line if you want more line capacity on the reel. The only drawback with the Record reel I have heard of is from sporting goods shops. The Record reel is not meant to retrieve the new "high drag" double-bladed Colorado spinner Musky baits. This is due to the high drag "pull" of the lure can "burn-out" the gears of the reel. Their recommendation is the Abu Garcia Revo Toro winch Fishing Reel which has the 4.6:1 lower gear ratio to handle these high-drag lures. Abu Garcia Ambassadeur Record Baitcast Round Reel (6 Ball-Bearing, Gear Ratio 5.3:1, Capacity 14/145)'


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