Tuesday, 15 June 2010

Outdoor Benches - outdoor furniture, outdoor benches


I purchased 8 benches - 4 for our house and 4 as house warming gifts for friends who relocated to the country. These benches were a breeze to put together. After thinking it over I decided to incorporate 2x6s in place of 2x4s where I could to prevent warping. 2x6 lumber fits perfect into this construction. I've attached photos above - check 2x6 construction. the 2x4 braces below make for solid shake-free benches. I sanded and finished mine with three coats of Thompsons "Honey Gold" tint Watersealant. After this summer and winter in OK I'll report back on how well these held up. All construction so far has been 6 feet long.



You have to realize it's wood you're working with and prepare accordingly. Measure to get the most of each cut from the length wood you buy. I purchased #2 Douglas Fir - it's a bit stronger than framing lumber. 2x4basics AnySize Table or Low Bench, Sand

My husband and son put the picnic table and benches together in a couple of hours one afternoon. They made it 7' long. My husband did put a couple of boards in the center of the table (underneath) for extra support and we had ordered two more of the bench kits so my husband used one set of bench braces to firm up the benches. (Three braces on each bench instead of two.) That leaves braces for a single bench to put on the back deck. The picnic table is VERY sturdy and should last a life time if taken care of. Luv this product and would definitely recommend it!

The product only contains resin legs and not the lumber or any other support. You can use various material for the top. I have built three benches using these legs, from 2 ft to 6 ft long. I used fairly heavy material for the top - TREX for 2 benches and granite top for the third. TREX is heavy and flexible material so I ended up using middle support using 2x4s. I used cedar base for the granite top. All three benches are very heavy. These legs hold them well. I am taking one star off for looks. These legs stand out as molded plastic.

From the previous reviews, we knew it would be easy to assemble. My primary concern was how it would look, but the price was cheap enough for us to take a chance. As it turned out the sand-color plastic legs did not look too out of place (we recycled old broken ceder bench parts for the top and used a pressure treated wood for the support). If you want a casual, utility type of bench and not a beautiful focal point in the yard, you'll be happy with this product.

We primed and painted kiln dried 8' 2x4s aqua and screwed them together. Couldn't have been easier and they look great. Used 3 supports for each bench and plan to order more to make 2 more benches for the deck. I hope they last in the Socal sun and heat. Will update if they don't.

We were very please with the item. The bench will be really easy to assemble and disassemble for the winter. Go to Lowes or Home depot and ask them to cut the wood pieces for you and all you have to do is bring them home and screw it together.

This was exactly what we needed to construct a bench for our patio. We used redwood 2x4s and so far it seems fine. It's probably best to not go much wider than 4 ft with redwood or it will bow when you sit on it. We actually are using 3 kits to make two 8 foot benches. Each bench has 3 supports - Benches - Do It Yourself - Outdoor Benches - Outdoor Furniture'


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Computer Cooling - computer fans, cooling


As the other reviewer describes it, these fans do a really good job moving air out but it's loud.



My experiences:



- Bright LEDs. I bought these fans knowing it would be for style. My Cooler master HAF 912 has two fan slots on the top of the case and it looks great.



- Good air circulation. The two fans move air extremely well and may take off 3 or so Celsius from both the motherboard and processor.



- Loud. As I've mentioned, these things are loud. With just two of the stock fans, and CPU cooler my computer is quiet but these two monsters make the computer sound like an engine. You may think of it as a good or bad thing.



Overall, good pricing and performance, just consider the noise level. Thermaltake Thunderblade 120 mm 4Led Case Fan 3 and 4 Pin AF0031 (Green)

The title says it all. The positives are that they are a nice bright green and move a lot of air. The downside is that they are loud. I ordered two of them. Time to order a fan controller. Otherwise, they make too much noise. - 120mm - Cooling - Computer Fans - Case Fans'


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Glass Shelves - sink shelf, bathroom hardware


This is great quality - the mounting brackets have some heft to them, and it's very sturdy on the wall. It's also very attractive - it looks GREAT in our powder bath. It's also pretty easy to install once you discover the diagram on the back of the instruction sheet (the directions to install don't mention it). Danze D446135 Sirius 24-Inch Glass Shelf, Chrome - Bath Shelf - Sink Shelf - Bathroom Hardware - Gatco'


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S1 Racer


This is my favorite in the Speed Racer action figures from ReSaurus. The whole set is very detailed, an exact match for the cartoon, one of the highest quality series of figures I have ever seen. The figure has a nice stand to keep it standing on your display shelf. But Pops is really special with his design and accessories. He looks like he just walked off the screen. Pops has an amazing mechanics toolbox, with drawers that really open and hand tools you can put in there. He also has a removable ball cap, and an impact wrench connected to a portable air tank. This one blows people away when they see it. It was made only in 1999, so it's a discontinued toy. Speed Racer Pops Action Figure Series One'


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Defectivebydesi - live points, video games


This is a lot better than doing it through your xbox. For one, no tax. The other reason, for me at least, is that if you put your credit card into xbox live, you cant remove it. You can change it, but it will always have a credit card on file. Buying these points through xbox live would have cost me $54.12. I would rather save that $4.12, thank you. Xbox 360 Live 4000 Points

First off, I'm an otherwise very happy Xbox Live Gold member. Instead of buying a points card from a retailer, I made the mistake of buying the points online from Microsoft through the Xbox. I used my gamer tag account and entered my credit card on the TV and I bought 500 points. I got the email confirmation that I bought the points. I then used the points. So far so good.



Over the next two days, four other Xbox charges totaling $30 mysteriously appeared on my credit card. Someone bought more points and a game subscription using my credit card info. I called Xbox Live support- their answer was "we don't give refunds." I explained that it's not a REFUND if my account is used fradulently. They still said no.



Note that clearly the security leak was with them, as no other fraudulent charges appeared on my credit card...just Xbox charges.



I then asked them to delete my credit card info from my Xbox Live account. They said they could not do this. I could not believe this! Given that someone had access to my credit card and they were unwilling to remove my credit card info, I had no choice but to cancel my credit card.



My advice- buy the points from a trusted source like Amazon. Don't ever give Microsoft direct access to your credit card info. I hope this helps.

I've lived overseas in Europe for the past 8 years working with the military. The thing about Xbox live is that they dont accept APO address's for the credit card (Armed Forces Overseas address). Now i can order the code in 5 seconds instead of having to buy a card and have it shipped to me. Thankyou sooooo much Amazon.

This is a great denomination to release Microsoft points in. Since most games on Xbox Live Arcade are purchased in 400 point ($5) increments this card give you the ability to download ten 400 point games or five 800 point games or some other combination (you get the idea). $50 is also a much more acceptable amount than the $62.50 for 5000 points. Since this is on a card it makes this possible to give as a gift or buy without using a credit card. This would be a worthwhile purchase for anyone with an Xbox 360 and Xbox Live.

This is a must have if your xbox 360 is connected to the internet. It is used in place of money on the xbox live marketplace. Their you can buy new skins for the xbox guide, HD and standard definition movies and TV shows. Movies include Superman Returns, The Departed, Blood Diamond, and Jackass. TV shows include Star Trek, The Colbert Report and South Park.



HD TV shows are 240 points(per episode), so you can get about 6 with this card. Standard definition are 160, so you can get 10 with this card.



A new release movie in HD is 480 points, so you can get 3 on the card. New release standard definition are 320, so about 5 movies worth on the card.



Classic movies are 360 for HD and 240 for standard. So 4 and 6 movies respectively.



You can also purchase points directly through xbox live, 1000 points costs $12.50.

These reviews show up on the list for all four options, the one, three, and twelve month subscriptions, as well as the marketplace points. Carefully choose the "Size" above, which is where you choose between live "gold" months and marketplace points. Amazon just put all of these different products onto the same page, calling them different sizes.



There is of course a difference between months and points, as you can spend points without a gold subscription (just use the free included "silver" subscription with every XBOX 360), and you can certainly buy gold months without having to get any extra points. So one is not required for the other. The points get you extra content downloads, and the months get you online play time.

I bought one of these cards while it was slightly on-sale, making it a bit cheaper than buying points directly through Microsoft.



It's just a plain, plastic card with a portion that you scratch off to reveal a long key code that you enter into your XBL account.



A word of caution though. Don't scratch it too hard because you can actually scratch off the key code lettering, which is what happened to me. Luckily, I was still able to figure out what my code was and the card didn't go to waste.



With free shipping through my Amazon Prime account, this was easy enough and I saved a tiny bit of money.

I didn't get a bargain on these points when I purchased them (in other words, Amazon was selling them for the same price you could purchase them directly from Microsoft for), but with free shipping, it was an easy way to give my husband XBox points. My mom bought him Rock Band for Christmas, so I gave him points to download new songs with! I didn't want to put them directly on the XBox, and this was a good way to wrap them and give them to him as a gift. He loved them.

If you need points to buy games, gamer pics, themes, or movies through marketplace, you will need Microsoft points.



This card for 1600 points is $20.00 worth of points, so you save a penny!



Most people buy their points online through the marketplace, but these make great gifts for the Xbox 360 Game fan who you are not quite sure what to buy them.

This is an awesome service that amazon is providing to those of us who cant purchase the cards through our xbox. Those of us who are serving our country from out of the country (IE Europe) can not use our credit cards with APO bank acct's. So Thank you amazon this is awesome! - Microsoft Points - Video Games - Xbox Live - Live Points'


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Rain Poncho - rainwear


While a good product, this rain poncho is HUGE. So yes, if you are 300 pounds this will fit you. But if you are an average size, this will be enormous. The picture shows a woman with her arms down by her side, and you can't see the rest of the poncho bunched up in the back, because obviously less people would purchase it. If I had known it would be this big, I wouldn't have purchased it. Adult Rain Poncho for Men or Women by totes

I live in the desert southwest and have no need of a raincoat or rain gear but when I travel to a rainy place, it is handy to have this rain poncho. It is lightweight, takes little room in the luggage and does the trick

Great to toss in the car or in luggage when going on a trip. I like that this poncho is so compact, perfect for when you're trying to travel light. Durable enough that you can reuse it multiple times without an issue.

I bought this product for my little sister who moved to Japan to work...It is the rainy season and she walks to the school she works too...She loves the poncho!!! The poncho did not take very long getting there, that is very VERY important to us, we both live overseas her in Japan and me in Italy...Ordering with Amazon has been an incrediable experiance! GREAT Poncho!!! It is pleasently protective...Its better if your short because otherwise the water will splash you a bit into your boots...OR do like I did get the bubble umbrella to keep a lot of the wate off!! - Rainwear'


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Gold Toe Socks - feet, womens socks


I received two pairs of the Gold Toe Comfort Crew athletic socks for the holidays and they are terrific. The material is very solid, high-quality ribbed with some stretch. The tube of the sock is versatile, and can be cuffed, slouched, or pulled up. They don't fall if worn completely pulled up. While they're high quality they're not so thick that they affect the fit of your shoes. They wash well and are perfect for everyday wear. Gold Toe Women's 3-Pack Comfort Crew Athletic Sock, White, size 9-11

I became a fan of Gold Toe socks about 8 years ago and this style is my favorite (I prefer a thick sock - note this is slightly thinner than an athletic sock and much thicker than a trouser/dress sock.)



Why Gold Toe?



- Well constructed

- Wash and dry well

- Retain shape

- Excellent price



If you're looking for a sturdy, every day sock this is highly recommended. This is not a dress sock - most appropriate for jeans or business casual.

I purchased 3 pairs of these socks for my niece, who recently grew to a shoe size of 9. Gold Toe socks I knew from past purcases as an excellent quality sock - softness, wears well, launders well, and lasts longer than others on the market. The special point: these socks are all white. Most women's white athletic socks have a pink toe. My niece didn't want pink socks. I will buy more of these socks in future as Christmas & Birthday gifts for my niece.

I purchsed size 9-11 of this item [Gold Toe Women's 3-Pack Comfort Crew Athletic Sock in Black]. I wear a size 8 athletic shoe. The socks were just what I was looking for, and they fit OK, but snuggly. I always wash things before I wear them. After washing according to the directions, the socks were very tight, and one sock had come apart at the stiching where the heel portion is sewn to the rest of the sock...leaving a hole. That was only one flaw out of many socks, but you might be more satisfied if you purchase a slightly bigger size than you normally wear.

These socks are great. They are not binding. They're cushiony soft. Even after many wears, they aren't sliding down and so far, no holes.

I'm on my feet all day and have worn holes in socks in just 3 wears. They've held up to the wear/tear I put socks through. My feet seem to hurt less when I wear these.

I love Gold Toe socks and have been buying them for years. I ordered the crew socks in black months ago. There is neverending lint that has not washed out after months of use. I have washed them inside out as well but there is still lint left on my feet and on my carpeting when I remove them after wearing. I'm really unhappy with these socks and would not recommend them.

I purchased these along with a set of Champion crew socks. I ended up returning the Champions and keeping the Gold Toes. I found that the material used in the Champion socks was a little thinner and not as cushioned as the Gold Toe socks. The insides of the socks also felt somewhat rough, and I was concerned that they might get rougher with repeated washings. The Gold Toe socks seemed to be better reinforced in the toe area. But one thing I liked about the Champion socks over the Gold Toe socks was that they came up about an inch higher over my calf. So one star off for length. It was a hard decision about which ones to keep, but I've been really happy with the Gold Toes and they've held up very well.



UPDATE 1/10/11

As I've washed these socks, they seem to get shorter and shorter (and I don't wash them on hot water or dry them on high). The length was short enough to begin with, but repeated washings have made them even shorter. I am now disappointed in these socks. If you are looking for a true crew sock in terms of length, I would skip these Gold Toe socks.

I have worn the Women's Gold Toe Crew Socks for many years. The page I ordered the socks on stated I had ordered this item a little more than a year ago. The socks seem to be made from the same material, but are about 2-3" shorter when placed on top of one of my older pair. I wear a size 7 1/2 shoe, and the socks are too small to be comfortable. - Sock - Feet - Womens Socks - Gold Toe'


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Black  decker - cordless drill, cordless nailer


Wow, what a great value from Amazon. I built my entire deck with this drill on two charges. It has all the power I need around the house.

I looked at several other makes at more than twice the price before I bought this unit. I'm very happy I went with this one. The chucking system works very well too.

I have no complaints with this fine product from Black & Decker. Shipping was very fast too. Black & Decker HPD18AK-2 18-Volt High Performance Drill with 10 Accessories

I don't own this drill, but I used my friend's to build a huge outdoor wooden playsets. It took three days to build, and did it all on one charge.



One really great feature on this drill is the ability to increase or decrease the amount of torque. What I built was made out of cedar, which can split really easy especially the thin planks around the railings.



I'll be picking one up.

I just received the drill so haven't given it much of a workout yet. But I am impressed with the torque...it really makes even my dull bits look good. (I really plan to sharpen those bits....someday.) I have been using a 14V B&D for several years and I get nothing but slippage with the bit going nowhere. In fact I bought Skill AC drill for the rough stuff...which will now go in my RV and this 18V will take the place of all my other drills. I also like the ability to pick a useable torque for setting screws, an impossible task with any other tool I ever had.

I really like having the two batteries included although I doubt I willl be doing enough drilled at one sitting to run out of battery power.

Again in my life I asked myself; "Why didn't I do this sooner?"

I moved into my own place a couple years ago and bought a 3.2 volt tiny drill for all my drilling needs. Even in my tiny condo I've had a couple projects where a drill that small just doesn't cut it. My latest project was to install shelves on a wall, which required drilling a 2.5" screw directly into a stud. I didn't even have to pretend like my drill was going to work, so I borrowed a neighbor's 14 volt, and that got... some of the screws all the way in. I decided to pull the trigger and buy this one for $70 or so, if only to finish up the job and collect dust until I move to my next house, but it's clearly a powerful drill. For larger projects, the second battery pack that comes with it will be very useful too so I can be charging one while using the other. - Drills - Cordless Drill - Cordless Nailer - 18 Volt'


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Wacom Pen


I love my pen and touch! I have carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis and as a digital and web design student, using the mouse to work in my Adobe software was making my condition much worse. Since I got my (factory refurbished) Wacom Tablet I have felt a real improvement in my hands. I have disconnected my mouse altogether and put it away. I find the touch doesn't work as efficiently as the pen on the tablet, but touch pads never do, so this was not unexpected. The pen is easy to use, responsive and wide enough for an "old" lady to use comfortably even with swollen, half numb fingers. Next to going back to school, I'd say this is one of the best investments I've made.

One drawback. There is a heavy duty loop tab on the side to store the pen, but I have to set down and pick up my pen frequently and it's inconvenient to try to push the pen into the snug loop each time, so I have lined a cup with some static free foam to cushion the pen and set it in the cup until I am finished working for the day. It would be helpful if there was a pen rest to lay the pen on temporarily when setting it down for a few moments to add text to a layout, etc.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch.Wacom CTH460 Bamboo Pen & Touch Tablet (Factory Refurbished) Wacom Bamboo Replacement Nib Set (5 Pieces - Black) For CTL460, CTH460, CTH461, CTH661, INTUOS4'


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Exercise Bikes - stationary indoor bike, exercise bike


The Schwinn A10 is a relatively new product, and is the new iteration of the much more reviewed Schwinn Active 10. It has improvements over the former, but also commands a higher price as of now. Whether or not Schwinn will eventually phase out the Active 10 for the A10 is unknown to me.



====================



PACKAGING:



The bike was in a large box which had a shipping weight of 65 pounds. All of the components are placed into two foam molds, which were very secure. The condition it will arrive in will most likely vary depending on the carrier and how they treat it.



====================



ASSEMBLY:



Each component is wrapped in a plastic bag, and the console comes in its own box inside the package. Assembly instructions are provided, along with two User's Manuals, in both English and Spanish. All necessary tools and fasteners are supplied***. If one did not have trouble taking the components out of the package, it should be easy to assemble alone, otherwise additional help may be required. The heaviest individual part would be the mechanical component housing which needs to be angled slightly upwards in order for the stabilizing bars to be attached on the bottom. Remember to connect the console to the base before attaching the support.

***During assembly, it became clear that the supplied hex key did not fit several of the bolts. A standard 5/16 hex key works fine.

***One of the four capped nuts for the stabilizers was unthreaded. A trip to the hardware store was required to obtain a metric M8x1.25 nut.



====================



USAGE REVIEW:



The bike is powered by 4 D-cell batteries (unsupplied) which had cost around $6 locally. An optional AC adapter can be purchased from Schwinn for $15 + Tax, S&H. As of current usage, it is unclear how long a set of batteries will last. The electronics shut off after 5 minutes of non usage, with no manual way to turn off.



The final assembled dimensions of the bike at the base are:

--27.5" from front to back

--16.5" at the front stabilizer

--14" at the rear stabilizer

--47.5" high at the handlebars

***Note that the bike is trapezoidal in shape, with a narrow base and wide top.



The bike seat post has a wide range of adjustable heights, done so by a twist knob that is inserted along a series of holes on the post. At 6' (184cm), I can comfortable ride the bike, and there are 2 higher positions and 5 or 6 more lower ones.



The bike seat itself is adequate. Having not rode a bike in over 7 years, I was fine at the end of a 20 minute ride with just minor soreness as expected.

***IMPORTANT NOTE: This bike seat attachment is nonstandard. If you plan to change it, you will need to buy an adapter, which will cost around $20 + Tax, S&H. Look for a 3-bolt bike seat adapter on the internet.



A bottle holder comes standard, it is plastic and works fine with my 28oz Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle. The top of the console also doubles as a book holder, but depending on your handlebar setup, it may limit the width of the book or magazine you wish to read.



The pedals come with straps and feel very solid. Shoes are recommended when using the machine.



The fan that is in the center console is an asthmatic 60mm PC case fan. It does spin but provides no measurable airflow.



There are a total of 8 resistance levels which vary gradually. The console has 6 setups and 1 free/manual mode for user controlled resistance, which is the Quick Start button. The predefined modes work by displaying a set of 10 columns with the variances in resistance, and with each column representing 1 minute. After the user selects the amount of time and the starting resistance level, the program will adjust according to the setup. The manual mode lets the user change how long the machine stays at a particular resistance level.



The console also has a contact heart rate monitor. Just place your hands on the contact areas and it will display the measured heart rate. I cannot vouch for the accuracy, but it does at least work.



During operation, there is a noticeable but unobtrusive hum from the mechanical movement. However, changing resistance levels on my machine has a a very minor ticking noise. This seems to be coming from the small motor in the front of the housing. Whether or not this is a problem or is part of the normal use is unknown to me.



====================



PERSONAL OPINION:



I am an adult male in my early 20's. I am 6' tall and weigh roughly 175 lbs. I purchased this machine to help improve my health and allow me to exercise at my leisure and in the comfort of my own home. So far I have been happy, as a 20 minute session feels like a nice workout. Even though there were some assembly issues, I am overall very happy with this piece of equipment. If there are any drastic changes to that opinion, I'll be sure to update this review. Schwinn A10 Upright Bike

This upright stationary bike is great. I was transitioning from an old "friction" based old fashioned bike and the resistance is so much smoother with the A10. There are enough programs / resistance levels to make training interesting and is a great alternative to the gym cycles.



The only minor negatives to the bike and is really specific to Amazon is that the recommended "Schwinn Pillow Top Cruiser Bicycle Seat" is not compatible with this bike as far as I can tell. I emailed Schwinn/Nautilus support and they confirmed this being the case and they have no alternative seats to recommend. I'm a novice cyclist and after 30 minutes on this bike, my crotch area gets pretty sore (more so than my outdoor bike). I was hoping the "Schwinn Pillow Top Cruiser Bicycle Seat" would fix this but can't be used. The only other gripe is that the Fan is pretty pathetic and if you (or your 3 year old) accidentally leave the fan on, it will drain the "D" batteries in a few hours.



So in short, I'd definitely recommend this product but be warned about the seat. - Stationary Bike - Exercise Bike - Stationary Indoor Bike - Schwinn'


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Fountain Pen - ink, ink bottle


I've been using ink pens since a long time before ballpoints & gel pens were even thought of. The more popular inks on the market were products of the pen manufacturers who seemed to devote their engeneering energies into the pens themselves, thus most inks were just functional. The only waterproof writing ink I remember was blue/black in color, & did lighten significantly when doused in water. Of course, there was India Ink with its deep black, etc, but it didn't function well at all in fountain pens. A friend introduced me to Noodler's Heart of Darkness, & I'm hooked. It's deep black color & resistance to water, etc, are outstanding. I especially like its non-feathering characteristic, which becomes more obvious when writing on flow grade & some recycled papers. Finally, the flow of ink from the pen nib is smooth and flawless. Without doubt......the best ink I've used. I prefer Noodler's eliminate the free pen, & thus reduce the cost of the ink a couple of bucks. Noodler's Heart of Darkness Black Fountain Pen Ink

i'm an illustrator, concentrating in oil - but eventually hitting all media. i bought the Noodler's on a tip from a pen and ink buddy. i use the ink in a fine tipped fountain pen. the flow is smooth and steady. the coverage is very good, especially compared to my old india ink standard. it dries quick enough with minimal smearing when dry. i have found a bit of pigment release when i go over the ink drawing with watercolor, but it isn't a waterproof ink, so that is to be expected. overall, a very good ink. i'm planning to buy more noodler's products - brown, green... mix up that drawing effect a bit, especially with the watercolor over it.

Noodler's Heart of Darkness black bulletproof ink. I write my personal journal in 'Composition' wide ruled notebooks. The ones I use have 100 sheets bound between two hardboard covers which gives me 200 pages. Last year I used two of these notebooks . . . Because my handwriting is poor I started using a fountain pen with black ink to print with so I cold read what I was putting on paper as my writing was just not legible. I used both cartridge ink as well as getting converters for my pens so I could use bottled ink, which immensely decreased my cost per page of printing. However the black ink I was using, cartridge and bottled, just didn't yield a dense black . . . tending more to a very dark gray.

I read a review of Noodler's 'Heart of Darkness'Noodler's Heart of Darkness Black Fountain Pen Ink and even though expensive, 4.5 ounces of ink is a lot of ink, I ordered it from Amazon. Wow! Dense, opaque black with no noticeable feathering and wonderfully quick drying. There is not a hint of gray in the dried ink . . . truly a wonderful ink and appropriate for anyone that want's archival quality in what they write

Rob+

This is a really good ink. The free pen is junk, but good enough for a first pen. The free pen isn't why you want to buy this anyways. The ink fantastic. Once dry, you've got exert serious effort to get a smudge (I even tried running water!). For the price, this cannot be beat.

I have several fountain pens, and i was looking for the blackest black I could find. Heart of Darkness seemed like a good bet with lines like "absorbs as much of the light spectrum as humanly possible." Turned out to be right on the money, as far as I am concerned. Very black, no feathering at all, and once it dries...man...its not going ANYWHERE. If you get it on your clothes...well...i would say burn them. As for the pen...it is probably the single most ingenious thing I have seen in many moons. It is a Japanese refillable fountain pen that has been hollowed out, therefore quadrupling the amount of ink it can hold, and just to make sure there are no leaks, they put some silicone grease in the threads and an o-ring on the base. This pen writes REALLY well. I no longer use my Montblanc when i write thanks to this little invention, and i ordered some of the Japanese ones, in case i need some part replacement. I also got some silicone grease. Noodler just needs to add a spot on their site that sells those pens, as far as i am concerned. The pen they used, i am pretty sure, is called Platinum Preppy. It writes OK with the stock ink, i guess, but Noodler steps it up a notch with their modifications. I write a lot, and it took more than two weeks of constant writing with that pen before refill was needed. The cap is a little flimsy, but that's why I ordered the others...just in case, you know? If they could make one of these out of metal, or a thicker plastic...perfection!!! So...in summary...Heart of Darkness? You bet. Definitely as black as black can be. The pen it comes with? Give it a try and see what you think. It is now MY pen, to be used at all times, substitution not authorized.

This ink is Very Black unlike some ink that say that they are black but has a hint of blue in them.

No blue here.

The ink flows well and hasn't clogged or dried on the pen nib.

It dries fast on paper but will smear a bit if the paper gets wet.

The bottle comes with a medicine dropper (or ink dropper as the case may be).

This is convenient for filling some pens but I use a refillable cartridge that must be inserted into the bottle to refill. The bottle would be better if the top had a larger opening.

I have purchased Noodler's ink in the past and have yet to be disappointed by its quality.

I give the ink a 5 and the bottle a 4.

I've always been fascinated with fountain pens. I mean, it takes skill to write with one, so there is an air of seriousness and intent surrounding them. After all, technicalities aside, you don't tweet with a fountain pen.



Also, the pen itself is an engineering marvel -- an aestetically pleasing outer shell enclosing a carefully designed system to enhance a controlled leak of the contained ink via capillary action through the nib. I mean, really, when they wrote "the pen is mightier than the sword", I don't think they were referring to the cheap plastic pen attached to a chain at the post office.



The other main ingredient to the system is the ink. The ink is what leaves a mark on the paper -- an expression of the writer's intent, creativity, and expression. It is what conveys the words to the reader. And leaving writers aside for a moment, I'll note that an octopus risks his life on the quality of his ink. So the choice of ink is not a trivial decision.



Though I'll leave fountain pens for another discussion, regarding inks, I must say I've really been happy with the Noodler's Heart of Darkness Black Fountain Pen Ink ink.



In case it isn't obvious from the Joseph Conrad allusion, this ink is really black. Blackhole kind of black. It is also, well, bulletproof, in that it is meant to stick around on the paper for a long time. No worries about your snail mail address washing away when your letter drops into a puddle on route.



This package offered by Amazon includes a free fountain pen with the bottle of ink. The bottle of ink itself has a built-in dropper for ease in refills. The free fountain pen is probably not the best fountain pen around, but I have really enjoyed it and use it almost daily -- this is the pen I carry around with me in my bag. I don't have to worry about it getting stolen or broken, and so carry it with me wherever I go. As a result, it actually gets used more than some of my other pens. And so far, it always writes when I want it to write, so I really can't complain.



But the main attraction here is the ink. If you are confident in what you want to say, and want the security of knowing it won't be lost or distorted, then choose Noodler's Heart of Darkness Black.



(review by Kendall Giles) - Fountain Pen Ink - Ink Bottle - Fountain Pen - Ink'


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Beverage Cooler


This is a great little fridge. I started out with a Koolatron KWC-25 Coca-Cola 28-Can-Capacity Portable Fridge. those Thermoelectric fridges just don't cut it. never got below 50 f. this fridge gets down to the 30's . Its small but if easily holds 35-40

drinks .i needed a small fridge with a glass door this works great .runs quietly whats not to like. BCA193BG Refrigerator

This thing is awesome. I use it to store my energy drinks, and Brisk iced tea. I keep it on its highest setting, which is 5, and I've noticed that whatever I keep in the center shelf in the far back usually ends up freezing, which I don't mind, so I keep my tea there and soda elsewhere. Everything stays cold, and I've had it up and running for a couple of weeks now. The only reason I chose this fridge was because there weren't any DoA reviews, and every other mini fridge review on Amazon seemed to be nothing but negative, so this was just a process of elimination purchase. We'll see what happens in the future, and if it breaks, I'll be sure to post it. A few other things I should mention:

-The sides, as well as the top panels get rather warm.

-It's decently quiet.

-The back isn't pretty, so put it against a wall.

And if you've never purchased a fridge before, read pages 7-9 of your manual before you even think about plugging it in.



REVERSING THE DOOR

It was easy enough, just a matter of popping a couple of caps off, and unscrewing some things. You'll find out that you have to peel a sticker off of the top that's covering the screw-hole on the opposite side. You can reuse that sticker if you didn't damage it much, or you can use the one replacement sticker they give you. I used a razor blade to get the old one off and placed it back on, looks fine. You can do this on your own, I can see some people having trouble with this. Just make sure that when you put the door back on, you're pushing up on it slightly so the weight of the door will adjust the rubber seal around it to fit evenly. That's pretty much it.



Gaming fuel is ready.

The frig I received was awfully noisy and didn't cool down well. There is no way you can keep it inside the room without hearing the humming all the time. After plugged it for two days, I finally concluded it would not work. I requested return following instruction, but my return was rejected saying no return authorization. Bad product and bad customer service.

Item was extremely expensive to ship (despite paying for expedited) and it still did not arrive quickly. That was the least of my problems. The glass door arrived completely shattered. The item was cheaply and lazily packed. I don't know how anyone would expect it NOT to break with this poor packaging. Took several days to hear back from them. Don't buy this garbage.

I am busy enough that I can justify a fridge in my office as opposed to taking the two minutes to go and get a drink from my big fridge downstairs. These clowns ship a glass door fridge in a flimsy box with very minimal foam padding and it arrives with a smashed glass door. Now I am supposed to take the time to come up with some real packaging, pack it up, and then drive to UPS 30 min round trip and drop this off?- WTF! I did some reading and found that this was supposed to be a great little office fridge that gets really cold. Doesn't work so well when the fridge has a broken glass door.'


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Baby And Childcare - baby food, feeding baby


I registered for this because I remembered my mom grinding my "baby" sister's food 20+ years ago. I figured it could not hurt to have.

My little one is almost 1 year old and still doesn't have teeth. She gums things very well, but meats are a little harder to tear apart. (Note, this was great when we started solids... it mashed bananas and took the strings out of sweet potatoes to give them a smoother texture than just mashing with a fork.) We're introducing her to meats slowly, and anytime I've tried to give her canned commercial meats, she has scoffed at them and pushed them away. Well, tonight she eyed my pork chop jealously, as if her cooked mixed veggies were not enough. I ground up between 1-2 ounces and added some water to it to smooth the texture, and she LOVED it. She could have eaten more, but she had plenty to eat in addition to the meat. Although it took a little longer to grind the meat, I did so sufficiently.



This grinder washes up well.. I rinse it off, take it apart, and throw it in the dishwasher. I have had no problems with this grinder. It does it's job as well as I would expect any non-electrical grinder to work. I wish I had the tote, but a ziplock baggie works fine.



I would also like to add that I had to contact Kidco's customer service regarding finding replacement hardware for a baby gate, and they were prompt and professional. KidCo Food Mill

This isn't the best for babies under 6months... it doesn't get foods as smooth as the step 1 foods you buy in the store. But keeping that in mind...



This comes in very handy. I started grinding foods in this with my 6 month old. It is easier for me to grind some food for him right at the table so he can eat some of the things we are eating, rather than prepare and store his food in advance.



I decided that one isn't enough. I prefer to run things through the dishwasher so they are more sterilized than washing by hand and I tend to use this for two meals a day. I don't like to feel pressed to load and run the dishwasher before dinner... It usually isn't a problem, but things are hectic at times. Its also nice to have one clean for traveling.

A tip - we mix whatever we're having for dinner, and if it's too dry or doesn't grind well, we add some cottage cheese. It helps it go through the grinder, and makes it stick together so it's easier to handle the food.

I notice one review found the unit hard to disassemble. It *is* a little confusing at first (you unscrew the knob at the top and the crank fits on a spline, which is counterintuitive), but once you get the hang of it I found it to be straightforward. We have never bought any baby food (have you ever tasted that stuff?) and always gave our daughter what we were having, including all the spicy stuff! Now she is a great eater and shies away from very few foods.

This mill is too weak to puree anything but the softest of foods, and it's much easier and faster just to mash those with a fork. For anything of any substance (including very well-cooked broccoli, very well-cooked carrots), the mill just pushes the food down and extracts liquids and I end up using the Cuisinart instead. Also, the design is such that it is very easy to spill food all over the counter as you attempt to remove/add food to the mill. I've had this food mill for 5 months, hoping to use it every day, but have found it so disappointing I have only used 3 or 4 times. Definitely a waste of money. - Baby Food - Feeding Baby - Food Mill - Baby Food Grinder'


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