Saturday, 6 February 2010

Strathwood Chaise Lounge Chair - patio furniture, strathwood chaise lounge


Note: There is no category for 0 stars...



I did purchase two of these chaise lounges from Amazon. One arrived damaged and I had no problems exchanging it for a new one. I had these lounges on my new paver patio from June through October. they were covered with those green plastic covers.



A few things observed:

After a few months the sliding tray failed to slide out.

One of the dowels that hold up the back of the chair had cracked and fell apart.

My patio was stained with the orange dye used to make these chairs appear to be teak.



I emailed Amazon and explained the situation. I have to commend Amazon for REFUNDING ME ENTIRELY for my purchase and for the SHIPPING too, after having these chaise lounges for over 6 months. I received a refund for $239.98. Also, they gave me a $20 credit for my trouble.



Point is, the manufacturer is producing a terrible product and Amazon has had to deal with it.



In one of the emails, Amazon wrote to me and implied that they were not going to continue selling this product. Obviously they have not done that.



So word to the wise, do not buy these chairs. They look to be of high quality but are far from that. And, I wish you luck in getting your refund too. Strathwood Basics Hardwood Chaise Lounge

Assembly was tedious but no more than 30 minutes.

The wood needed a couple spots sanded and the whole thing was oily on arrival. I rubbed it down with a cloth for 4-5 days while it sat out in the sun.



The sliding table (preassembled) no longer slides (2 weeks outside.) It is jammed tight. I guess the wood expanded in the track.



The wheels are wobbly and and I just noticed one has a crack half way through it.



The whole thing could also be a couple inches higher.



Anyway, its cheap.



I ordered the matching table and chairs, but the Eagle trucking company broke another delivery appointment after having me wait at home during their 8 hour delivery window.



Sept 2007 Update:



Well it's been outside (Pennsylvania weather) for two years. I applied a deck sealer in the Fall of 2006 and again in Aug 2007. It actually looks good after a light sanding and a fresh coat of wood sealer. However, the wooden wheels have both came apart and I replaced them with lawn mower wheels. I think I can get one more year out of this.



May 2010 Update:



It had a good life but it is now exhibiting cracking and checking of the wood. I think its done. The mattress, oddly enough lasted well enough, considering I leave it out all year. I'm going to dispose of the mattress and re-purpose it as a plant stand (in the flat position.) I think it will look good with colorful pots and vines living on it for now.

I bought two of these, one for my mom and one for my mother-in-law. When they are at the house no one else is allowed to use them without thier say so. I have scored like a thousand more points from each of them for getting these lounge chairs.



These are great lounges, easy to assemble and the sliding table makes a great margarita holder. One did arrive slightly damaged and Amazon got right on it. They arranged for a replacement to be sent out, via next day air!! They also arranged for the damaged item to be picked up and returned on thier dime. I love my moms, I love the chairs and I love Amazon.com.

While the lounge chairs we received looked good and we have received compliments, they have ruined the cushions that we purchased to go on them. The stain has come off of the chairs ruining the concrete deck below them and the cushions that were $100 a piece that go on them. What an absolute mess. There is stain on my BRAND NEW cushions and on the pool deck below them that we are unable to get out. DO NOT BUY THESE CHAIRS! I am now having to start over with chairs and cushions. What an absolute disappointment!

We got the chair and thought it was great - until it rained for several days straight and our new brick patio is the color the chair once was. How in the heck do you get stain out of coarse brick?!?!? It's still raining...

At $89 it seemed like a fantastic deal for a nice looking wood chair. They arrived in horrible shipping packaging that not only didn't protect, but actually caused damage. My experience was tainted by a convoluted and frustrating exchange process. The chairs needed to be slathered in teak oil if used outdoors - which is where a deck chair usually resides. There are now large brown stains on my deck after the chairs saw their first rain.



After the time wasted exchanging the damaged chairs, going to Home Depot for teak oil, applying the teak oil to both chairs and needing to get our deck pressured washed, I would not buy them again. They look nice, but are not worth the effort. I wanted to buy a chair, not a project.

We purchased these two teak finish chaise lounges because the price was very affordable compared to others we had seen. They assembled well and looked great, until the first rainfall. The orange stain dripped off the chaise lounges all over our white pool deck. It looked as if they were "melting". We had to use a high powered pressure washer to remove the stain from our deck. Unfortunately, they still drip onto the deck each time it rains, a little less stain each time. We can only hope that eventually it will stop completely. As I said, they look great, but alas a bargains isn't always a bargain!

Slats in this chair fell off when I was putting it together. On top of that the assembly process was problematic because drill holes were not aligned. Shame on Amazon for such poor quality products. As a long-standing customer, I really expected them to at least meet the grade. Strathwood brand now stand s for waste of money. - Strathwood Chaise Lounge - Chaise Lounge - Strathwood - Patio Furniture'


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Unlocked Cell Phones


This is my first smartphone, and I admit I was having mixed feelings after my bad experience with my "old" Nokia N82. However I was positively surprised by some aspects of the device, specially the responsiveness and the usability. It is really easy to use, I gave it to my mom (she's 60 and always has problems to use tech stuff) and she just started to use it! Now after 2 weeks I think I have some contribution...



What I liked:

The touchscreen works very well, with some inaccuracy, only perceived in rare occasions when I need to click a link without zooming in the screen

The speed: usually it is very fast to switch from an app to another.

Live Wallpaper: very impressive (although I suspect it eats the battery).

"Modem" feature: in 30 seconds my laptop was connected to the Internet using the phone's 3G network, and without any cable!

Camera: comes with all those candies the modern cameras have. I liked the Panorama.

Display: amazing colors and cristal clear, can be used even at direct sunlight.

Unlock Pattern: Sounds like a silly thing, but I liked it!

Power profile: it shows how much of the battery is being consumed and by application, and then you may have a chance to improve battery life. In my case the display is by far the most battery eater, so there's not too much I can do, except do not use it.



What worked

Web browser. It was able to render every page I've visited, it is fast and easy to use.

Multi screen. It is nice to have more than one screen. I know it should be very useful, I just don't know for what.

Swype: surprisingly easy to use, just needs some improvement on word prediction.

Maps and traffic information.



What could be improved

Software shop definitely needs to be improved, for example: I want the possibility to sort out search results, I want more filter options, and, of course, more software available. Also, some kind of security review/karma would be useful. Some form of accreditation of the suppliers also could help. I'm not saying I want the Apple dictatorial system, but I think some basic security indication/checking/verification would be good.

Wifi: It works OK most of the time, but sometimes it does not connect automatically and then I have to go to the list of networks and click on the "Connect" button.

3G: it took me some time to understand how to configure the network. I still not 100% sure I could do it again if I lost the configuration...

Applications: too many applications, poorly organized. I'd like to have a way to group them in a logical way or inside a folder, specially those rarely used (may be there is a way and I just need to learn how to use it).

Language: The default language is Korean or Chinese (I'm ignorant and I don't know the difference between the ideograms). It should come in English!

Language Support: definitely need to have Portuguese support.

Speech recognition (Vlingo): That's a bad joke. I say SECTOR, it understands SEX STORE. Hmmm, is it reading my mind? :)

Battery Life: It lasts for one day, in a good day. Much less if you are a heavy user.

Access device's storage: That's tricky! I spent a whole day trying to find a way to use the device's media on Linux... And then I found the problem: the SD card need to be unmounted first! (settings/SD card/Unmount SD card). Once I did that it worked.

GPS: The initial lock takes much longer than Nokia N82.

3G usage: I don't know how much data is being transmitted/received, let's see the next phone bill. That "background transfer" "feature" is my concern. Also, it could have some sort of carrier/network type selection, it is always using the network even when the only network available is Edge. OK, maybe it already has this control and I just don't know where it is.

Lateral buttons: I'm always mistakenly pressing the buttons.

Glitches: It hanged a couple of times. One of the times I had to remove the battery to get it back. Sad. Samsung I9000 8 GB Galaxy S Unlocked GSM Smartphone with 5 MP Camera, Android OS, Touchscreen, Wi-Fi, GPS and MicroSD Slot - Unlocked Phone - No Warranty - Black

I just inserted the SIM and start the phone and worked just fine.

A day after I upgraded it OS to Android 2.2.1 with Hebrew support easily.

This is a great phone for everyone who needs a smartphone.

The GPs is working just fine.

When I placed my order, I was kinda doubtful about my decision, but once I received it, I thought I would never change it with an iphone!!! I had a iphone 3gs previously, this one is much lighter than that one, and also lighter than my friend's iphone 4g. It has a sleek appearance. The main page has room for some applications, you don't see all of those icons at the first glance. The camera is great, finally it is more budget friendly.

The Galaxy S arrived perfectly packed on its case, and it was the best purchase I made in cell phones in a long time, The internet is full of customizations, Firmware changes for the international version, so it was easy to update the firmware to Froyo and even to load a customized Firmware by DARKY. Just spent some hours searching and studying how to do it, and voila, a brand new Galasy S International, unlocked with a customized Firmware, working perfectly in Brazil.



Great purchase, arruved perfectly and I am very satisfied

This is my 2nd smartphone, but the first with a touchscreen, and I'm quite happy with it. It is very easy to use, and there are a lot of functionality that don't leave it behind of the iphone 4. yet it is lighter than iphone, and have a Super amoled Screen. It is already unlocked.

I'm using it here in Brazil with TIM, and works perfectly. But this international version does not have Digital TV as an option, although the Brazilian Version sold here comes with, but has a very higher price (almost double price). As we can find in so many differents reviews, this phones lacks a flash for its camera, but still the Photo pictures at night shoots have a very good quality.

I already upgraded to Android 2.2.1, that makes it a little bit faster.

I did have some trouble using its GPS without a 3G or wifi connection, because the Google Maps probably need some kind of internet connection, but you can download other GPS navigators.



I highly recommend this Smartphone.'


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Memories From Childhood - family game, kids game


This game is a variation of Parcheesi. Rather than rolling dice to move around the board, you draw cards with numbers on them. However, some of the cards also have alternate instructions...such as being able to switch places with an opponent, split the count between two pieces, or move backwards to sneak into your home without having to go all the way around the board. Even very young children quickly learn to take full advantage of these options. I especially like this game because it's one of the few young children's games in which an adult can play seriously without "accidentally" making mistakes and STILL be beat by the 5-year-old! Action-wise, it's a little bit slow, but, hey...it sure beats Candyland!CAUTION: This may be the first time your children encounter sabotage as a game strategy, and tempers may flare. One of the most educational aspects of this game is that it gives you plenty of chances to talk about good sportsmanship and not taking a game too seriously. :o) Sorry

For those of you complaining that this game is too simplistic for adults, try playing the adult version! This is the true game and not at all like the simple kids version. The game is described on the Sorry! rules sheet. Instead of the cards being drawn one at a time as in the kid's version, each player is dealt a five card hand. This opens a whole new level of strategy as the game then becomes dependent not so much on the luck of the draw, but how the cards are played! With these rules the game can be played for a lifetime and never grow stale.

My brother and I used to play this game for hours on end. Yes, we would send each other back to the beginning of the game while laughing our little heads off in amusement. If you play the game enough, everyone gets a chance to win. So, most times we would play this until each person had a chance to win. A great colorful game with easy to move pawns. Great family fun, but easy enough for kids to take out the game on a rainy day and entertain themselves.



~The Rebecca Review

Even my 4-year-old can play this game with ease (albeit with someone older reading the cards until he got familiar with the rules). The skills required to play the game are skills that transfer easily to everyday life...decision-making, strategizing, taking setbacks in stride...plus it's tons of fun! I highly recommend this game to both kids and adults.

Like its cousin, Trouble, the game Sorry is quite simple in design. The reality, however, is that it is both an entertaining and surprisingly educational board game. It now comes packaged in a convenient library case (Note - this is a different item, also available on Amazon). The library case makes storage easier, and it also makes it simpler for kids to get games out of the shelf without a parent helping. (why did it take so long for someone to think of this?)



The simple rules: up to 4 players each begin with 4 tokens in the "start" area. Players take turns drawing from a deck of cards and moving pieces as indicated, trying to be the first to get all pieces to the "home" space. The cards offer some nice twists beyond simply moving forward:



1 = move 1 space forward or move a piece out of start

2 = move 2 spaces forward or move a piece out of start, draw again

4 = move backward 4 spaces (occasionally an advantage)

5, 8, 12 = move forward that number of spaces

7 = move 1 or 2 pieces a total of 7 spaces forward

10 = move forward 10 or backward 1

11 = move forward 11 or switch one of your pieces with an opponents piece

"Sorry" = take a piece from your start and replace a piece of your opponent's, send them back to start. Be sure to say "Sorry!" in a way that makes it clear that you really aren't.



And that's pretty much it. The game is simple enough that most kids who can count and recognize numbers can grasp the basics. With a little parental coaching, younger siblings can play on near-equal footing with their older brothers and sisters (Note - the older sibs do NOT think this is fair). However, the fun (and the teaching) comes with all of the choices. Should a player use the all of the 1's and 2's to get all 4 pieces out on the board, or should he focus on getting one piece at a time to safety? Should a player switch places with an opponent's piece and help herself, even if that helps her opponent too? How should he split up a 7? Working through these possibilities is a challenge for younger players, but a worthwhile one.



Probably the biggest lessons Sorry teaches, though, are sportsmanship, the ability to dealt with setbacks, and the idea of not giving up when things aren't going well (Sorry is the ultimate "it's not over to it's over" game). Having a piece that is near the finish get suddendly sent back to start can be temporarily devastating to a young child. Don't expect them to take it well the first time it happens. Here, parents can teach the best way to deal with disappointment by their own good example. Kids who learn these lessons at age 6 in a board game will be less likely to melt down at age 7 on the soccer or T-ball field. For all of these reasons, Sorry is a great family game. It is fun, but it is also educational without ever feeling like a lesson. 5 stars.

My children have been playing this game ever since they got it for Christmas last year. They play it every night after school, and save the unfinished games for later. The board is durable, and hasn't yet broken. It's educational too. This game helped teach my youngest child, 6 years old, to count better. This Christmas, I think that I'll get them another Parker Brothers game. Thank you Amazon.com

One of my family's favorite board games. Up to four players, each with their own game pieces that they're trying to get out of START, and into HOME. Although seemingly simple, requires good strategy, as well as lucky draw of cards. I would recommend this game to anyone, except competitive people, because you'll find your pieces being sent back to START by other players quite often, and we don't want any fighting.



(...) - Family Game - Games - Memories From Childhood - Kids Game'


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Power Tool Accessories - work and fit just fine, thickness planer


This is the second set of replacement blades I've gotten. The quality seems OK,though I won't really know until I've used them for a while. But the price is about half what I paid for the pair I got via Ryobi. Quite a bargain! POWERTEC HSS Planer Blades for Ryobi 13" Planer AP1300, Set of 2

Had not much luck obtaining some new cutter knives for my planer through Home Depot so I looked elsewhere and to my utter surprise I found them here and they were delivered in good speed and fit perfectly. My thickness planer is now back up and running thanks to Amazon.com. JTP - Thickness Planer - Work And Fit Just Fine'


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Reversible - reversible, black belt


This belt is of high quality leather and is just what I was looking for as a gift for my husband. Only one problem - too small. He wears a 36" waist pant. He typically wears a 38" belt but this one was too small. I'd order another size up for it to be comfortable. But the quality and style can't be beat for the price! Most belts of this quality are over $40 in department stores. Dockers Men's 35mm Feather Edge Belt, Brown,36

This is a good belt, made of quality materials. The buckle is solid, and the buckle attachment is the traditional folded over leather and stitched technique (unlike some more cheaply made belts where they think a screw buckle attachement is adequate).

Too small, my waist size is 34-35 and listing said to order one size larger. I ordered 38 and it was too small. I recommend going 2 sizes over your waist size. Other than that the belt is OK. It's pretty stiff, but it would probably soften up a bit over time.

Not much to say. The picture is accurate. The belt appears to be of good quality. I've only had it a month but it holding up well. As others have said, do order a size (or two) larger than you would normally order. At one size up the buckle goes in the 3rd hole.



George

Good belt for Khaki's - I wear 2-4 times each week and it's holding up well. My waist is a size 42, and I take a 42" pants, but based upon other's comments I ordered one size larger. The 44" fits my 42" wait perfectly, using the "middle" loop hole. - Belt - Reversible - Belts - Black Belt'


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Battery Powered


I think most of the negative press comes from those using the Grado RA1 with phones other than Grado, and I'm not going to say they're wrong. The RA1 is an excellent choice with Grado phones. I'm using one with the GS1000 and it's a great match. It's pretty much common knowledge in the audio community that Grado headphone amps are optimized for Grado headphones, just as Grado phono preamps are best suited for Grado cartridges. Grado RA1 - Headphone amplifier

Since discovering Grado Headphones, I find that I HAVE to keep mine with me when I am out on the road. I find this unit to be the only way to travel with my power hungry cans.



This little mahogany wood unit does a great job substituting for my home set up. It does not alter the sonics nor does it skimp on providing the power of my home setup. In short, it keeps me happy and looks good doing it. Highly recommended.

This sounds similar to some of the Altoids amps that hobbyist began making in the 1990s. It is made up of cheap opamps in a fancy wooden cigar box but it's still better than the headphone jack of most components. The hobbyists that made those Altoids amps (literally in little tin Altoids mints boxes) continued to revise, improve, use newer opamp chips, and better components... so this headphone amp is not nearly as good as those are. Avoid.

[spelling corrected - Thanks, internet! -ed]

Ok, this is a little better than the sound card in my macbook pro. My apogee one audio interface is almost as good. But neither one is made for powering headphones like AKG K702 or DT990 Pro which are my 2 favorites. I bought this knowing Grado is a good, well respected brand. Sadly, I had to return it. It seems whatever you spend on a headphone, you have to spend at least double on amps to get good sound out of them. Honestly if you are spending 350 on this, move up to the NuForce HDP for 450. It is the absolute best value for the buck. I got one of those because my budget was under $500 for headphone amps, and the good thing is the NuForce HDP gives you preamp, amp, and DAC all in one. If you are buying any headphone over $100, be prepared to spend at least $500 to get the best sound out of them.

I wired this to my imac to listen to my Grado headphones. There is a fullness, not volume, but full sound. I also have a pricey set of B&Ws to compare. I dont regret the purchase. Not to mention the mahogany amp looks good on my desk.

The headphone output on my Emu 1616M seems to have better transient response. mids are definitely cleaner on the Emu, as is the LF production. Highs are fairly equal. YMMV based on the impedance of your cans though obviously. older Sennheiser 600s, JVC HARX900s.



In all fairness, the Emu 1616M has a rather good headphone driver section.

Yeah it works. It looks like it was made by a third grader though in the 1950's lol. Some people have way too much money for useless stuff. I was thinking my headphones would be transformed. They sound pretty much the same just coming out of my receiver.



Buy it if you want a slab of wood with 'GRADO' printed on it.'


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Sony - sony, digital frames


I just loaded this frame up with pictures of the kids for grandma, and can say that this frame is a much better choice for the price than other brands.



I really wanted to offer a contrast to the only review (so far) for this product, since I had a far different experience.



There are many menu options to customize the viewing experience, including a setting to change the delay between pictures from 3 seconds to 24 hours. There are also nine different types of slideshows, plus a random mix of those types available.



Also in the menu options is a Shuffle option to randomize the order of your pictures.



I chose to resize the photos to match the display resolution of the frame (800X480). This dropped the size from 2+ mb per picture to around 50 kb per picture, and they are virtually indistinguishable from a regular viewing distance. At the moment, there are 500+ pictures in the internal memory, with more than half of the room left.



The picture quality is great especially compared to other brands in this price range. Sony DPF-D1010 10.2-Inch WVGA LCD (16:10) Digital Photo Frame (Black)

Bought this due to Sony's quality in imaging space and 10-in diagonal screen. After loading photos, am amazed at how great the pictures look and how nice the photo frame is. Had not bought a digital photo frame previously due to cost and small screen size, am glad I waited until now.



Anyway, great product with excellent viewing from all angles and lots of configurable options (interval settings, random, clock, etc.). Did not find any of the limitations or issues that earlier reviewer noted, thankfully went ahead and bought it.



Here is my summary:

- high quality screen

- good viewing angles

- very nice frame for use in living room etc.

- easy to configure

- good price



One suggestion if you use Picasa or any other photo editing program. You can crop your photos using the "5:3 Widescreen Photo Frame" crop option and they will fit perfectly in the 800x480 frame when you do a File->Export (option Resize to 800). Or if you prefer, you can let the Sony resize/crop for you.



Anyway, great product and in my personal opinion, definitely worth recommending to others.

My wife mentioned that it would be nice to have a digital picture frame, given that so many of our pictures are hidden away on the computer, most never being viewed regularly. I remember hearing less than glowing reviews of these things in the past, but after doing some research I stumbled upon these units from Sony. The Sony frames appear to be the best-made and with the best software running the device of all that I've seen. A lot of the name brand and no-name frames have buggy, unintuitive software, cheap frame materials, and cheap electronics inside (don't last). These are the only one's I've found that are worth what they are charging for them. That said, I loaded 240 hi-res pictures onto it last night from a USB drive (also accepts SD and others), which took about 30 minutes. The internal memory is about half-full. Without reading the manual I was able to set the system settings to my liking, and the pictures look very good -- surprisingly so. Almost every parameter of the unit is configurable (effects, delay b/w pics, auto pic resizing, etc). The quality of the screen is excellent, the frame seems well-made with decent materials, and it's very straightforward to use. The 10" screen is larger than I thought it would be, which is nice. This particular model is only VGA (800 x 480), whereas the higher models are SVGA (800 x 600) -- I was originally going to get the SVGA, but the additional cost was significant, and this looks pretty good as it is. In terms of value, I think this is one of the better digital frames on the market. Highly recommended.

Sony's D1010 Digital Photo Frame has a couple limitations that I did not expect, which really disappointed me. First of all, you cannot adjust how long each picture shows for. It's always 8 seconds, which to me, is far too long, if you are using it to show people pictures. Unless you want to sit around for an hour. Secondly, you have to be standing pretty much directly in front of the frame to see the picture well. Strangely, we noticed that if you walk to the left of the frame, and look at it, it's ok-- but walk to the right of it, and it instantly gets that "x-ray" look. A definite bad point.

Here is a thing which is a bummer to me: A Sears salesman told me after looking at the box that even though it says "holds approx. 200 photos", because I shoot with a new heavy hit camera, (which apparently makes photos w/ a lot of info) this digital photo frame would end up holding only around 25-30 pictures. That to me was unacceptable, but he said that if I just left the SD card in the frame, It would hold a lot. I said no problem. I managed to fit 112 photos onto the SD card that I bought, and put it in. I was SO bummed to realize when you do this, it totally changes the order of the photos! I had spent a long time putting these photos into a nice random assortment on my computer before putting it onto the SD card, but to no avail. It clumped them together as I had shot them. So all the pictures of Hannah were ALL together, all the pictures I had shot at the beach party were ALL together, etc.... Now, possibly this would be different if I had actually loaded these photos into the internal memory of the frame. But I looked, and they had 2 choices about the order: By Date, and By Number Order. No "Random" which I think would be an obvious choice. Their "Random" they did have included showing large random clocks and calendars, along with the photos, which ended up very small to accomodate the calendar/or/clock. Yuck.

It was easy to use and set up, which I was relieved about. The picture quality is good, just not as good as my Apple computer screen. I do love the fact that it looks great, and automatically knows to orientate the picture to a vertical portrait or horizontal landscape , and is ok with tilted photos. You can put the frame vertically or horizontally, a big plus. All in all, it's ok. - Digital Picture Frame - Highly Recommended - Digital Frames - Sony'


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Athletic Socks - ankle socks, athletic socks


After reading the reviews of the various low-cut white socks available on Amazon, I decided to try these Hanes, as it appeared that they were the best of a bad lot. They're not really terrible or anything, but they are thin and flimsy (and they look it, so you're not going to win any style points in them). They also tend to make my feet get hot, particularly under my heels. I don't know if this is because they're so thin that they don't insulate my skin from the shoe or because there's something excessively plastic about the fabric. As for the size, they seem to run a bit big: I wear a size 10 men's shoe, but these socks bulge out at the heel around my Achilles tendon--not a good look. Hanes Men's 6 pack cushion low cut sock, White, 6-12

These are of a terrible quality. They are thin and the only "cushion" in these socks comes from the imaginations of the folks who write the description of this product. The size range is impossible...no sock can fit from a 6 to 12 size foot and this sock proves that statement. This is the least of the three low cut socks I have ordered in the past three weeks or so. Choose any sock other than these, or perhaps not any from Hanes.

I have a size 9.5-10 shoe and I commonly wear socks that say size 9-11. These say size 6-12. When I got them and put them on, they were so big that the grey area where the heal is supposed to be is up at my ankle. That is not right.



Washing/drying them did not change the size to yield an improvement



If someone is actually a size 6-9, these things are going to go up way high.



The only good thing is that the socks are very thin, which is what I wanted for a hot climate.



Still the sizing is not honest and so this product should be avoided unless you are genuinely size 11-12

Highly recommended!



I really like these socks. Great price. Comfortable! I have tried some "cheap" ones and they never seem to fit right around the toes -- there's part that sticks out at the sides -- and rubs against the shoe. These don't do that. They fit great.

These socks are way too large for my 9.5 - 10 feet. If I pull them all the way up, they seem like crew socks but with the gray heel patch right above my ankle. I washed them twice but they don't seem to shrink at all. That said, they are not uncomfortable to wear but the fabric feels a bit coarse compared to other socks I own.

This is the first time i have bought a Hanes product and i am disappointed at the quailty of the socks. They do not stay firmly on the foot and move around a lot during exercise leading to blisters. I will be happy to spend a few dollars extra in future.

These are functional, adequately comfy, affordable socks. They aren't that thick though, so they aren't as comfy as other brands and they won't last as long -- but that's what you get for the price. If you want more comfy socks, you'd have to pay around twice as more. For them, they do the job, and if I need thicker socks (e.g., for running), I use my socks of a different brand. - Hanes - Athletic Socks - Ankle Socks'


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Athletic Socks - ankle socks, athletic socks ankle socks Athletic Socks - ankle socks, athletic socks

Tommy Lee Jones - tommy lee jones, corporate


This film seems to be getting mixed reviews at best. It wasn't even released nationwide, or at least not at a theater near me, and very little promotion was given to it. I think that's a shame because it's an enjoyable film that actually explores not just the recent economy and downsizing in Corporate America but the North American situation (obsession with property, possessions and passing pleasures rather than true happiness). That said, I understand that films involving the recent economy haven't done well and I can see why many people wouldn't be eager to get out only to sit in a theater and watch what can be seen as a very depressing story that has a lot of truth to it.



Outside of that fact I still say this is a good film if not entirely great. Ben Affleck is well cast and likable as a man who has it all until his company is hurt by the economy and he finds himself included in the list of recent layoffs, the last thing he expected given his position at the company. He is eager to find a new job and believes he'll have no problem given his credentials but he soon finds the only positions he can attain are those that he considers beneath him. Soon his termination package runs out and he and his wife (excellently played by Rosemarie Dewitt) have to face some realities about their nice house and many possessions including a beautiful sports car. Dewitt and Affleck do a great job of playing a couple under a lot of stress who still clearly love each other.



The film isn't as depressing as it sounds based on that synopsis, from there Ben Affleck's character slowly realizes that when all else fades family remains constant and his parents and brother in law (Kevin Costner) help him make it through to the other side.



While this goes on Tommy Lee Jones plays a higher business executive at the same company who is very upset with the way the company is being run. When he is eventually let go despite suggestions that could help the company he finds himself dissatisfied with his life and looking to find new meaning. Craig T. Nelson plays the head of the company who causes more issues by taking jobs out of the industrial end of the company to keep investors happy. Chris Cooper does an excellent job playing a man in the same position as Affleck only with much less fortunate results when he doesn't have the same support group (truly the most tragic aspect of the film).



Economy films are a lot like films about the Iraq war, not many want to hear anymore about these issues with the media already bombarding us. However, I would say this isn't so much an economy film as it is a film about a very specific aspect of the current human condition that just happens to use the recent economy issues as a starting point (much like how The Hurt Locker wasn't specifically about Iraq).



To me the film wasn't as depressing as others are painting it to be because the message wasn't about how bad things can get, it was about how good we can make things. Everything is a choice, if we stop becoming obsessed with things we have no control over in hopes of stability, if we stop building things up and acting as if they can never fall down, if we accept that nothing is permanent other than the happiness we give ourselves then we might move past all this and be in a better place, a place that can't be taken away from us.



The ending keeps it from being a truly great film, leaving things wrapped up almost too neatly too suddenly despite attempting to be openended and leaving Affleck's character with a mountain to climb. Still, if you liked last year's Up In The Air you'll enjoy this and if your interested in how business's wind up in trouble or if you like films that show the strength of family then this may be for you, give it a try. I hope this film finds a larger audience on Blu-Ray and DVD, I will certainly be adding it to my collection for repeat viewings.



* I hope this release has a director's commentary. The Company Men

This is a film that oozes with realism and timeliness. The GTX corporation, headed by an overpaid, callous CEO (Craig T. Nelson)--who cares only about the stockholders, a new corporate headquarters, and his salary and stock options--cuts divisions and lays off thousands of workers--some of whom have been with him and the firm for decades. It's not that they aren't hardworking and dedicated, it's just "business."



One of the men who is laid off is in his thirties (Ben Affleck); the other is twenty years older (Chris Cooper). Another (Tommy Lee Jones) roomed in college with the CEO and helped him build the company from the ground up, concentrating on shipbuilding in the Boston area. All three men live lavishly, with fancy houses, furnishings, and cars.



Affleck is great as the proud, bitter, and then humbled white-collar executive, who has to sell his million-dollar home (in the depressed housing market) and Porsche, and then move in with his parents and work for his brother-in-law (played nicely by Kevin Costner) constructing someone else's mega-house. Cooper is also good--downtrodden and desperate, forced to dye his hair, and grovel at job interviews and with associates. And Jones is wonderful--a man with a conscience in the business world, who cares about the people who work at GTX. He also starts to reevaluate his life, both professionally and personally, in middle age.



The film--written and directed by John Wells--hits home. Most of us know people like the ones we see in The Company Men. They can be vain, pushy, and full of themselves; but when things don't go their way, they can be depressed and helpless. Yes, people need to make a living, but they also need to think about what's really important--family, friends, and self-fulfillment. This is a film that makes you think about these things.

"The Company Men" is a sober telling of life within a modern company. Men come to be defined by their jobs and when the job is taken away from them, they are lost. Their world as they understand it simply collapses.



At a high level, "The Company Men" covers the lives of several executives of the ship building division of GTX Corporation, an American conglomerate. Profitability and growth seems to be eluding the division and the only response of management is downsizing and, when this fails, more downsizing. Each man is thrown into a whirlpool. Their lives of debt and over-consumption come to a screeching halt. If there is one message from this film it is that too many people assume that things won't change. Too little attention is paid to saving for a rainy day. Consumption is king.



There are excellent performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Ben Affleck. Both end up being "let go" and both struggle with the consequences. However, eventually, reality must be faced. This is not an easy row to hoe. In the case of Ben Affleck's character, his life style is forced to undergo big changes. His house is sold, his family moves back to living with his parents, his wife gets a part time job and he takes a job of manual labour from his brother in law.



Without spoiling the plot, there is a somewhat happier ending. However, in the meantime, the film gives an excellent portrayal of so much of modern corporate life. It's a dog eat dog world out there. Just remember that change can be forced on anyone. - Corporate - John Wells - Chris Cooper - Tommy Lee Jones'


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Electric Scissors - black and decker, tools


The SZ360 (item on this page) includes:

-3.6V scissors, universal cutting blade, and charger.



The SZ360T includes:

-3.6V scissors, universal cutting blade, fabric cutting blade, table mount & charger.



I picked this up at my local Sears and found that it didn't include a table mount or an additional blade that a lot of people talked about on here. Home Depot offers the SZ360T online for the same price.... something to keep in mind. Black & Decker SZ360 3.6-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless Power Scissors

Took me forever to track down these blades. I can't believe no one has done this previous to me and saved us all the work by posting where to buy them here.



Well here ya go - work done.



Here is the elusive part number, which you need to have to order replacements from DEWALT's website (even though they are Black and Decker, you get the replacements from Dewalt.)



Part #5140027-49 Blade Assembly "Shoe Blades" $7.20



http://www.dewaltservicenet.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=62275&tid=14211

Hi Folks,



I purchased these scissors after seeing them advertised on the (....) tube. After seeing the price I figured what could I lose I mean really, I've spent more on lottery tickets and ended up with nothing to show for it. I charged the scissors for 12 hours as per the instructions and then went on a cutting frenzy! <LOL> Trust me folks, there was not a safe magazine, cardboard box or plastic carton for 2 miles that I didn't chop to bits with these things. The power of the scissors is really quite amazing considering their size and weight and they fit your hand like a glove. The only thing I could think of to improve this product (More like a wish) is to have a holster for them that you can wear on your belt like a cowboy and his trusty six-shooter. Yep, there would have been a very different outcome at the O.K. Corral if I had been there with my powered scissors. <LOL>



Ok so enough blabbering, the scissors are a great product at a good price, just be careful not to become a power scissor bandito or you and I are going to have it out on the white paper of life! <LOL>



Ciao!

The Black and Decker Cordless Power Scissors, along with Black and Decker's Cordless Screwdriver

and the Black & Decker Handisaw were just what we were in the market for. While I had often thought about buying them in the past, this seemed to be a perfect time to finally make the purchase. Just in time to use for the cutting and wrapping of our family Christmas presents. Because my wife has a plate in her wrist using regular scissors is sometimes, literally, a pain for her. Not so with the Black and Decker Cordless Scissors. She has said these just glide right through. She doesn't have to work the scissors, she said she just holds them and goes along for the ride! Not having any wrist or hand fatigue to deal with is a blessing. Works as smooth as a knife through butter! ~ The Boss (Mrs. B. agrees!)

This came out of the box fully charged and ready to go. Cuts through the hard plastic case it came in like a hot knife through butter. The Cordless Power Scissors makes a great gift for anyone, man or woman, who would enjoy saving time and elbow grease. You really won't know how you lived without one.

I saw this product on a christmas commercial where a woman had to open a child's toy that was covered/wrapped in that awful clear plastic. I have two young children and it is such a pain in the neck (and hands!) to open all those christmas toys vaulted in plastic. So, I thought these scissors were my ticket to an easy morning opening all those christmas present. Unfortunately for me, the scissors were not strong enough to cut through the plastic vault it came in! Ugh. I ended-up returning the scissors. If you want to cut anything softer than plastic, then these are great scissors for you!

I bought these before they ever hit the market. I was searching for an easier way of doing the cutting for Rag Quilts and Chenille Quilting. I saw the ad for these in a craft magazine and because of Black & Decker's great reputation I knew I had to have these. For all you people doing rag quilting and chenille quilting, do yourself and your hands a favor and invest in these scissors. You'll soon find out you'll wish you had gotten these sooner. My husband also loves these and I'm going to order 2 more of these sets very shortly. I've told many people about the ease of use of these scissors and also the fact that they will cut not only fabric but tarp material; vinyl and canvas. There just isn't too much stuff out there on the market that these scissors won't cut through and the blade still stays sharp.

I sew and cutting fabric is my least favourite part. This scissors makes the cutting a breeze. So far it has handled heavy material and silky fabric well. The shoe blade works well for cutting on flat services and it's quite maneuverable. I'm glad I got it. - Scissors - Black And Decker - Tools - Crafts'


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Coupon Shopping


These are very high quality - not thin and flimsy the way some binder inserts can be. These inserts are one-sided so you've got 160 little slots in total that are perfect for baseball cards or coupons. 20 (Twenty) Single Ultra Pro 8-Pocket Pages - Eight Pockets Page (8 Top Load / Horizontal Slots)

Purchased 20 (Twenty) Single Ultra Pro 8-Pocket Pages - Eight Pockets Page (8 Top Load / Horizontal Slots) to hold my coupons. I am now able to see each and every coupon individually without diggin through a pouch and inevitably dropping some of them on the floor... Perfect for coupons. Shipping was as expected and arrived in great conditon.

I bought these because I was really just starting to get into couponing and I wanted an easier, more organized way to keep and find my coupons. I love the horizontal slots as opposed to vertical ones just because most coupons are printed horizontally anyways. I ended up ordering 2 packs of 20 and pretty soon I will need more!!!'


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Knitting Books - knitting books


What a great series these "On the Go" books from Vogue Knitting are! I own several from this series and am always amazed that they can pack so much into such a tiny book. This one is no exception. It is small enough to slip into a knitting bag, it has just enough reference to go along with the patterns and the patterns are varying levels of difficulty but all very fashionable. There were instructions for beautiful beaded bags, felted bags and cute backpacks. I am a beginning knitter and there was plenty in this little book to keep me occupied, as well as plenty that inspire me to improve my skills. Vogue Knitting on the Go: Bags & Backpacks

First off, these Vogue books are very clever; they are the perfect size to fit in your bag when you take your knitting on the train, plane, doctor's office, etc.Secondly, this book has bag designs contributed by TOP designers like Sasha Kagan, Deborah Newton and Nicki Epstein. That's great. These particular designers (not to leave out the others who contributed to this book) are great at colorwork and embellishment. In fact, if you like these bags, you'd probably get a lot out of Nicki Epstein's book Knitted Embellishments. With that book and the bags, you can customize the patterns and add fringe, cords, embroidery and more. You can extend these 20 patterns to make your own designed bags.Bags, especially backpacks, are very in with kids right now. And why not make an evening bag for your next gala night out. Or use the patterns to try that one ball of interesting novelty yarn you have but don't have a pattern to use it with? If you like knitting bags, you might also like home-decor items like pillows. Check out Shangold's Design Source book of Home Decor, Nicki Epstein's Knitting for your Home,Erika Knight's Comforts of Home. For more bags, see Zoe Mellor's book Head to Toe Knits : 25 Colorful Accessories for Your Home and Children, with more bags and toys, plus home items as well.

This small book has projects for all tastes. 27 bags and backpacks to knit and have fun. Has a picture for every item.I know it can be difficult to get the right yarns and accesories if you live abroad or if you don't want to spend lots of money, but with little imagination, you can adjust this ideas and use other yarn and another kind of handles for a bag. Just check gauge and you're done!! great buy for teens or young adults who want to start knitting their own bags or for a mother or grandma who wants to spoil her children

I love handbags and I love to knit. To me, this book looked like the perfect combination of both. Then, I started kitting the chunky tote on page 29. A half-dozen (wasted) hours later, I realized that there was no way, geometrically, that the bag shown in the photograph could be created by following the pattern. In addition, the resources list at the back of the book is all but useless. It contains merely a list of suppliers by name, but it does not categorize them as to what they supply, nor does it provide email or website information. The resource listings contain only postal addresses. In rare cases phone numbers are provided, if only for suppliers based in the UK. It's the 21st Century, for pete's sake! Who has time to send a letter through the mail to Judi & Co. in NY, requesting a catalog from which to order the black handles required for the chunky tote on pg. 29? Very few would bother, I'm afraid. And who could blame them?As a new knitter, I rely heavily on patterns in books and, perhaps naively, take for granted that they are correct. I realize that mistakes happen and that errors in proofing can occur. However, putting a good, usable book together involves more than selecting a great binding or including flashy photos on a glossy stock. It's helpful if someone actually TESTS the instructions AFTER they are written. It's called usability testing. It happens in software, why not knitwear?

This book is a wonderful way for someone to start making satisfying knitting projects. It would be a good book for a pre-teen who wanted to make simple projects for sale at craft fairs. The later patterns get more complex and are truly beautiful. This is an excellent addition to the very good Vogue on the Go Series.

The pattern for the chunky tote is correct. It's a little confusing upon first read, but it does work. You cast on 36 stitches. After awhile, you bind off 11 and then knit 14 more. Then you knit some more length, leaving 11 stitches alone on the other side, which means you do end up with a T shape as the diagram shows, which folds up into the squarish tote.My complaint with the book is that there are not enough basic patterns using yarn you don't have to mortgage your house for, but that's true with almost all Vogue publications! - Knitting Books'


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50 Inch Plasma Tv - plasma, hdtv


I've had this TV almost a week and like it more everyday.

Bought it from Best Buy for $680 with free delivery and set up.

When the delivery guys set it up, thye told me that in order to get

the picture that I saw in the showroom, that I had to switch out

my Direct TV receiver and dish to HD. Called Direct TV and had the HD

dish and receiver installed. Boy, what a difference. I can't get

over how great the picture is, and you can't beat the price. I played

BB against HHGregg, and they both fell over each other trying to get the sale.

It listed for $800 at both places, but I got it for $680. I've read about

buzzing noise complaints, but I have not had this problem. This is the 2010

version of this model. I'm a happy camper. Panasonic TC-P50C2 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV

Good TV for the price, but in SD the picture is not so good depending on the signal being used. When using Blu Ray (Panasonic BD60), images are excellent and the differences between Full HD and HD are imperceptible, as the Blu Ray does a good job in converting to 1080p. I calibrated the TV with Datacolor Spyder3TV with completely dark environment (night) the software generated the following results after more than 100 hours of use: Brightness: 60; Contrast: 82; color: 78; Tint: 1 Temperature: Warm; Sharpness 0.

Bought this TV because of the price and the reviews of the older generation model. For the most part I am very happy with this machine. My biggest concern is that several times a minute, the screen dims and brightens on its' own, which gets extremely annoying. I called up Panasonic. Their answer was basically, "We know about the problem but unfortunately there is no solution at this moment. Our engineers are working on it. Here is your case number. For now, make sure CATS is off and that you are watching the TV on "Cinema" setting and that should minimize the annoyance." They don't know when they'll have a solution nor can they inform me when one is available. If anyone else out there noticed this problem, please feel free to voice your opinion as well. I'm a little upset because if I had known this ahead of time, I would have held off on buying this TV until a solution was found.

Some reviews downgrade a product because of the high price. I have always thought one should review the product, not the price. and yet here I am UPGRADING from 3 stars to 4 based on the price. So I'm inconsistent. This set is such a value I purchased it from Amazon after about 5 minutes of soul searching; wallet searching was unnecessary.



I took no chances and ran it at low contrast for at least 100 hours.



If you calibrate for best black level, which is surprisingly good, your picture is too dim.



If you calibrate for most accurate color, toning down the over-driven colors ,the picture is anemic.



If the lighting is wrong, screen reflections are almost mirror-like.



There is banding and overscan.



And yet... 4 Stars! This is a tremendous value for the money. Do not buy if you are a fanatic about specs, or watch in an uncurtained loft or solarium.



I find that once I calibrate to the best the set can offer, and then deviate to taste, I forget all that stuff and just enjoy a 50" plasma for a price that is 1/3 the price of Panasonic's top model. Reflections? I have curtains, moved the lamps a little, and angled the set down. I also find that I can "mentally edit"the remaining reflections out during dark scenes. Color accuracy? Might bother me if I were watching 2 sets next to each other, but most people can recalibrate in their head. works for me.



When calibrating, the set can remember different settings for different pictures. Always set at "warm" I then use "Standard" for my daylight viewing, "Custom" for evening with room lights on, and "Cinema" for an almost dark room.



I calibrated using the Spears & Munsil Bluray disk as a starting point only. I was going to give you all 3 calibrations, but then I deviated so much from them to compensate for my tastes that I believe you should just wing it yourself.





I've had the set a couple of months now, and am more pleased, not less. A big 50 inch screen with OK picture quality is better than my previous 40 incher with great PQ... at least for the likes of me. Decide for yourself, of course.

I originally bought this television through Target.com (twice before finally sucking it up and hauling it home myself from a local Target store. Screen arrived smashed from both deliveries so if you can buy locally, that may just be your best option). I'm certainly not an expert on what makes one television better then another but I can say that the television looks nice, was a breeze to set up (I did require the assistance of two strong men to help me with the lifting so I could have it mounted properly to it's stand) and I think the picture quality is very nice. 50" was a whole lot more television then I had expected and people are always surprised to learn how little I spent on it. The only thing I don't like is the super glossy/reflective screen. It looks sharp but if you have any opposing windows or lights, you get nothing but reflection. I'm not one who is typically bothered by a little bit of a glare but it's really excessive - even dim lights pose a nuisance. Overall, can't beat the price - great buy.

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Well I've owned this television for close to a year now and thought I'd share how I'm feeling about it today. I still think this was an amazing buy. House guests continue to comment on my television and are blown away at how little I actually paid for it. The image quality is excellent and my one roommate showed me how I could have images displayed across the entire screen (this is why it's great living with guys) - I had no idea I had only been using a small portion of the screen. Although I'm still not 'tele tech savvy' I can say that one thing I wish this television came with were additional HDMI ports. This television only comes with 2 and I really wish it came with at least three. What 2 HDMI ports means to me is that one port is continuously in use by my cable box and the other has to be shared between myself and my roommates (I use the second port for my AppleTV and my roommates use it for their PlayStation). It's a minor inconvenience to say the least as we just need to take turns to unplug/plug in our devices, but not a deal breaker by any means. I'm still extremely happy with my purchase and would recommend this to friends and family. - Plasma - 720p - Hdtv - Panasonic 50 Inch Plasma'


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