Guy Low Price Electronic: 23 Jan 2009

Friday 23 January 2009

Penny Marshall - baseball, madonna

The 2-Disc DVD Special Edition of 1992's "A League Of Their Own" (released on April 20, 2004) scores a grand-slam on my DVD Scorecard. Sporting a fun array of bonus features, a beautiful anamorphically-enhanced widescreen picture, and very clever menu screens, this DVD version of this timeless motion picture is a winner all the way around.Although the film has a relatively-lengthy run time of 2 hours & 8 minutes, it never wears out its welcome or gets tiresome. The first-rate cast sees to that -- a cast that features the likes of Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell, Lori Petty, and Jon Lovitz. Lovitz is fall-down hilarious as the scout who plucks Geena and Lori off of their Oregon farm to join the first professional girls' baseball league. He offers up one zinger after another during his short stint in this movie, such as his explanation to the other girls as to why he can't sign up second baseman Marla Hooch (who isn't likely to win the Miss America Pageant anytime soon) -- "You know General Omar Bradley? Well, there's too strong a resemblance."DVD Special Features for the 2-Disc "Special Edition" ..............>> A very nice 52-minute documentary on the making of the film, "Nine Memorable Innings", featuring new interviews with the cast and crew, and some behind-the-scenes footage.>> 15 Deleted Scenes. Many of these cut scenes flesh out some of the movie's shorter scenes. Some very interesting stuff here too. You can play each of these scenes separately, or via a "Play All" option. And these can be played with or without a "Director's Introduction" preceding each clip from Penny Marshall. Total run time: 36:02 with intros, or 32:39 without them. >> Commentary Track, with Director Penny Marshall and some of the cast members.>> 3 Trailers -- Including the excellent and funny trailer for this movie, plus bonus trailers for two other sports films ("Brian's Song" and "The Natural").>> Madonna Music Video -- "This Used To Be My Playground" (run time: 5:02).>> Cast & Crew Filmographies (text only).>> A French Language Track (in 2.0 Dolby Surround).>> English Subtitles. VIDEO -- The movie is presented on Disc #1 (which is dual-sided with no disc art), with Side A being the Widescreen (2.35:1 aspect ratio) version and Side B being a Full-Screen (1.33:1) Pan-and-Scan version. Now why anybody on the planet would prefer the Full-Screen (aka: "butchered all to hell") variant is beyond my comprehension. (Especially a super-wide 2.35:1 ratio film like this one, where, in the 1.33:1 version you're missing about 45% of the screen image at all times.) But, to each his own. IMO, however, the Widescreen is the ONLY way to go here (or with any other movie, for that matter).The Widescreen transfer here looks A-1. Very clear, no "jaggies" in the background that I could see, with great color.AUDIO -- The box shows a "4.0 Surround" English audio track. But my Player reads the sound as "3.1 Dolby Digital". Kind of strange, I thought. But, regardless of the individual number of discrete channels here, it sounds great. The previous DVD version of this movie was done in 2.0 Dolby Surround; and this SE is at least up to par with that older disc, IMO. MENUS -- A really well-done "baseball-themed" Menu design here. The "Scene Selection" screens are designed so that each scene choice looks like a baseball card, complete with an "AAGPBL" ("All-American Girls Professional Baseball League") logo in the corner. Also shown on each of the Chapter screens is a simulated "baseball card" featuring one of the "players" (or manager) that appears in the movie.The Main Menu for disc #2, which holds all the bonus material, is cleverly laid out to represent a page of a newspaper, with the menu choices integrated into the "headlines" of the paper. Very cool. As is the disc art for the second disc, which is made up to look like a baseball. This flick beckons to be viewed a minimum of once per year. And perhaps even more frequently thanks to this fine two-disc SE that is now available. It's a movie that is just plain fun to sit through. And that's not likely to change, even many years down the road. "A League Of Their Own" will remain in a class all its own for a long, long time to come. A League of Their Own

Why is Geena Davis an Oscar-winner? Watch this flick; you won't need to ask that again. Her sensitive portrayal of Dottie Hinson highlights the many facets of Davis' talents as an actress. I loved watching a piece of history (however dramatized) which took place during my early childhood. Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell were surprisingly good as the loudmouth-but-secretly-caring-and-feeling Mae and Doris. You'll fall in love with Ann Cusack's "Shirley Baker", and poor, homely but super-star batter Marla Hooch is someone you just gotta root for. Tom Hanks gives us his usual fine performance as the arrogant, boozy and cynical (but in for some surprises) coach Jimmy Dugan. The chauvinistic/sexist way the female players were treated (professional baseball in a cocktail waitress costume!?) by management, the public and the press ("...after all, they're only girls.") will incense many viewers, but it's the way things actually were then. For the movie to be made any other way would be less than truth. The way that the real Dotties, Kits, Maes, Dorises and the others dealt with those attitudes surely contributed to social change and enlightenment about the abilities of the female half of our population. A compliment, also, to the casting people; where did they find the older look-alikes? Notably, Lynn Cartwright as "Older Dottie" and Eugenia McLin as "Older Ellen Sue". This movie is for everyone. Comedy with poignant drama. If you like teary endings, bring the Kleenex. The nostalgia scenes will start the flow. Great, great movie. - Baseball - Geena Davis - Comedy - Madonna'

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Primal Play Shirt Outdoor Clothing Fitne... - belt, quick release clasp

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I've been wearing these pants to work almost every day for 6 months. I started out buying the 100% cotton version, but over time those wear more, and they shrink. Mine are much shorter and tighter than they were when bought. The nylon/cotton mix version, holds up much better. I have one pair that is only about 2 weeks younger than the cotton pants, but it still fits like it was new, the colors are stronger, and it isn't worn around the edges like the cotton. I work as an IT tech, and they provide me enough pockets for my needs. I can discretely carry my pocket knife, in its own pocket, and I can pack a K frame S&W in the front pocket without much trouble. (A kahr PM-9 is much easier for a full day). Overall, good product if you can buy at the right price. 5.11 Tactical Taclite Pro Pants, Khaki, 32x30

Just got them from another site and for less. They look good, have plenty of pockets, and are plenty flexible for me. I don't plan on doing karate in these and its pretty easy to hike up a leg to climb over something or work on my knees without my pants fighting me which I cant say about most of my other pairs. Doesn't bunch up or constrict anywhere. I have to wear khakis at work and the coyote brown color looks a lot like my dockers did when they were new. These are lighter and cooler than my dockers and just as comfortable. So far I'm more than happy with my purchase. Will update this after a few months of wear.

These ended my search for the right pants to wear in an overseas work environment that can charitably be described as "basic". My requirements included lots of pockets in a place where a flashlight and a Leatherman are round-the-clock "must haves" (along with some other location-dependent tools that you might need quick access to).

More relaxed than jeans, and with far less variability in sizing than big box store "cargo pants", these are a great choice. Comfortable, durable with many options for carrying stuff you have to have with you.

And if the pockets don't hold all the things you need, add the TDU Belt (comes in 1.5" and 1.75" widths and several colors) for hanging the extras.

I've never had any 5.11 gear until I got a pair of 5..1 taclite pants and belt.

These pants are comfortable, breathe-able, and rugged. I was unsure about the slash rear pockets (I don't carry anything in my back pockets usually) but find that if you need to get to something quickly, this design prevents items from getting held up like a squared-off pocket would.

I liked them so much I got another pair in a different color.

These can be worn around town without attracting undue attention, as they look similar to popular cargo pants designs, but these are the real-deal. Built to last!

I bought these based on the high recommendation by nutnfancy (on youtube). These pants are lightweight and seem durable. I'm going to take nutnfancy's word for this as I have yet to put them through a lot of use but he claims they hold up really well. I'll update this review if necessary.

I ordered the 30x32 size (since the 30x30 was out of stock when I ordered) and they are a bit on the large size for me, but on the plus side, there is adequate crotch space (which other users said they lacked). I'll order a pair of 30x30 and see if there is enough room down there haha

Like another user mentioned, get these over the 100% cotton as those will tend to shrink and wear out faster, also these would dry quicker than a 100% cotton variety.

Again, I'll update this review if I find something wrong.

I've had a pair of the heavier Tac Pro pants for about a year now. Living in South Texas they were just too heavy. The Taclite Pros are the best pants I own. They are very comfortable and durable. As soon as I find a nice blazer they will even become my dress pants. The one feature that they could benefit from is the rubber strips around the waistband to keep shirts tucked in during bending and stretching. Get a pair ( or five ); you won't be disappointed.

I'm not in law enforcement. I'm not a contractor. I'm not in the military. But my profession as a photographer puts me in situations where I have to dress like i'm being deployed to Afghanistan. Lenses, batteries, flashcards, flashes, remotes, multitools, flashlights, greycards, light meters, sync cords, measuring tape, are just some of the items that I need to keep on my person, and be able to access quickly and easily. I usually carry a bag with several compartments, but when it's hot, and i have to move around a ton, i prefer these pants. There is a pocket for everything with these suckers! Best feature, are the back pockets. I can fit a 200mm zoom lens and flash adapter in ONE back pocket! Second best feature, the knife pocket, roomy enough for a multitool and a streamlight stylus flashlight. And last, the clip on the beltloop, perfect for clipping my flash meter on, or a second body in a carrying case.

Even loaded to the rafters, these pants are comfortable, cool, and let you maneuver nicely. I'd order a size bigger than you wear in jeans, even with the elastic, these are sized more like dress-slacks. Fit is great, length is perfect. You don't have to be a SWAT team banging down a door, or a military paratrooper to get full use out of these pants. When I'm not working in them, I'm using them for a long Motorcycle trip (the pockets are great for biker stuffs and cool in hot weather riding), or on a camping trip, where they withstand a beating but always come clean.

I have some knock-offs, but the 5.11 are definitely worth the extra money.

Good GD Pants. - Quick Release Clasp - 511 - Belt - Rugged'

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Mp3 Player - mp3 player, waterproof mp3 player

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I had been looking for a good waterproof music solution and tried a few different products, including waterproof cases for my iPod and waterproof earbuds. I ended up wasting too much time fiddling with everything, trying to get all set up, secure the cables and the buds, which kept falling out. It was a mess. I saw this product and it seemed to solve all my problems by combining everything into one, so I gave it a chance. Amazon shipped it in 2 days with Prime, which I'm totally addicted to.

Adding songs to the Wave was way easier than with iTunes. Just drag and drop! The Wave fit comfortably, and came with count 'em - 7! - different sets of tips. I went with the triple flange, which did a nice job of sealing the product inside my ears, which are sensitive to water (swimmer's ear). I charged it up by USB and was off to the gym. I hit play and took to the pool without all the hassle, and started into my laps while jamming to my music with perfect clarity. What a joy! I did my full swim workout without missing a beat. I have to wear ear plugs when I am swim, but this served as adequate ear plugs as well. I was having so much fun, I wore them in the shower in the locker room too. I must say, it's cool to be able to listen to your music anywhere you want, even in water! Since then, the Wave has been on of my favorite gadgets. I've used it for running and lifting weights as well. It's just way easier than the iPod and separate wired buds when you're doing something active. And they sound great...as good or better than my iPod buds.

My only complaint is that you can't upgrade the memory size. But with a waterproof product, I guess you don't really want an SD card slot. Plus, 2GB fit over 500 songs, and you can change the songs any time you want. So all in all, it's a solid product and at $50 - $80, a pretty fair price for an MP3 player + headphones. Think I've found my Christmas gift for a few folks! WAVE - Waterproof MP3 Player Headphones - 2GB - In-ear Earbuds Style

Let me start off by saying I've been waiting a long time for a set of headphones like these. I just got back from my inaugural workout with them by doing a sprint triathlon, and in most ways, they were a pleasure. They stayed in place while I was running and biking like they were glued to my head. While swimming, they did tend to come out a bit while doing freestyle, but I was able to adjust on the go without issue.

The sound was surprisingly great while swimming. To tell you the truth, I expected it to have that 'underwater' garble to the music, but it was crisp, clear, and plenty loud even at about 40% volume. Quality mid-range headphones all around, which is perfect for the gym. These would be great for anyone looking for a waterproof set of headphones to throw in the gym bag, carry to the lake, run in the rain, etc. No longer will I have to worry about destroying my headphones or cell phone when the weather isn't cooperating and I still want to get a workout in.

There was only one issue that I have with them. The underwater tips are fairly aggravating to the ear canal. This isn't something I think can necessarily be avoided, or even changed as far as design goes, but if you hate the feeling of having something in your ear, these aren't for you. They are meant to have a seal, and unfortunately you do sacrifice comfort for utility.

EDIT: After using these for two weeks, I started having major issues with these headphones. First, the sound started coming in and out. It would be very soft, then only the left headphone would work, then back to very soft. Second, the buttons weren't working correctly to change the music (for example the track back button completely died on me). Third, the battery life was abysmal. I have been training for a sprint triathlon, and these would die after around 1.5 hours worth of use even though I charged it all night. Contacted JLab and they advised me to reset the firmware, which I did at the sacrifice of not having a shuffle function. This seemed to fix the issue for about a day, but then the buttons did not work again.

I just got back from the gym, and was able to run for 4 miles, bike for 15 miles, and swim for 500 meters before the battery died. This was less than 2 hours, and again the battery was charged all night. I don't know if it's an issue with the unit itself (ie the engineering or the seal itself), or an issue just with the battery.

Previously, getting things replaced has been a pleasure with JLab, but I just got off the phone and I'm irked that they wouldn't send me out a new unit until I sent the old one back. That means I'll unfortunately have to go back to regular headphones and no music while swimming while this gets sorted out (around a week is what I'm told). Bummer. And talking to the CS on the phone, they mentioned they've had multiple people sending them back for problems, so it isn't an isolated issue. This product is potentially life-changing, but I'd probably hold off until the issues are worked out.

I have been looking for a waterproof MP3player headset so I could use it on my personal water craft. And when I came across this unit, I had to try it out for the price of $30.

I had high hopes for this thing since the photos show it off very well, especially on the manufacturer's website, and the frequency response of 20-20kHz is pretty good in such a small package. But when the device arrived, I panicked a bit. The packaging is a plain white box with a couple of barcode stickers. (I hope it's not refurbished/remanufactured/repackaged.) My first impression was shut, because I started questioning the quality of the product inside. Thoughts of this being an amateur player quickly started forming. But after I opened the package and exposed the attractive player, I felt better about the product. I quickly plugged it into my computer via the included USB-to-microUSB cable. While the device was charging, I was dragging in my favorite music (it plays MP3 and WMA formats) just like dragging and dropping files into a flash drive. I noticed that the files which were copied into the player first, played first. The random/shuffle option is not available, which I do miss.

The charging of the player took less than half an hour to get the flashing green light to change into solid, meaning it was fully charged. I'm assuming the battery had some juice in it already, since it charged so quickly. After I reviewed the manual for the controls, I placed the player on my head and turned it on. Again, disappointment set in, as the sound of the music (dance and trance) was mediocre at best due to the complete lack of bass. But I quickly realized that I needed to install the proper ear tips (there are seven pairs to choose from) and once I picked the right ones, the bass of 20hz came through. I prefer headphones with response range of less than 10hz, but since I already knew the range on this unit was 20+, I expected average bass. Overall, the playback sound quality is good to very good, and the earpieces do a good job isolating any exterior noise. (I hope the strong sound of the PWC's engine can be filtered out.)

Wearing the headset around the house is very comfortable, and although I didn't try any sport activity with it yet, I believe the snug fit will keep the headset in place. I am very satisfied with the device and can't wait to use it outdoors. For $30, it's an awesome deal and would recommend it to others. I may grab another set in case this one somehow breaks.

UPDATE:

I just returned from my trip and I used this headset on my personal water craft. I was happily surprised that the earbuds sealed out the noise of the PWC's engine and nearly all the wind noise. There was only slight wind noise detected during the silence between songs. I had the volume set probably at 90% max. The bass was still mediocre and am wishing for more. The unit stayed put on my head, with my shades in place, while going as fast as 50 mph and against the wind. I didn't try going faster because I did start to feel slight departure of the unit from my head. Had I had the headset tied to something, I would have increased the speed, but I wasn't going to risk it. Maybe next time. - H20 - Waterproof - Waterproof Mp3 Player - Mp3 Player'

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Professional - x-acto, professional

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I'm taking an art class for grad school and needed a nicer sharpener. Had two cheap ones I hated. The reviews seem to heavily favor a couple of Panasonic models, but nobody seems to have them in stock. The next highest rated sharpener was this one, and it had a couple positive reviews, so I ordered it.

Pros:

Weight: Doesn't get pushed back when you stick a pencil in it.

Weight II: The motor is heavy. It takes up about half the volume of the box. It feels like a substantial device.

Motor: Steady and reasonably quiet. Not jerky or wobbly. Doesn't strain during sharpening.

Sharpener: Shaves evenly and smoothly and won't eat pencils unnecessarily fast. Produces nice, long points.

Fit: Standard Prismacolor pencils fit neatly in the hole and won't wobble during sharpening. Seems to be manufactured with rather tight tolerances.

Cons:

Sucker feet: They prevent lift, but not sliding. They should have used regular rubber feet.

Static: The plastic has a tendency to get a static charge and makes shavings cling to the outside when you empty the shaving tray. Wipes up without much trouble.

Summary:

Pros easily outweigh the cons. It performs the way you'd expect a high quality sharpener to perform. I can't imagine I'd be significantly happier with a competing product. X-Acto 1744 Heavy-Duty Electric Pencil Sharpener, Black, 1 Unit

I was a little hesitant to go with this brand as I had never heard of it. Also, at the the time of purchase, this product had only 9 reviews, although all were largely positive.

However, after reading "Truth and Justice's" review, I decided to try this one out. The sharpener is everything he/she said it was. By far, this is the most powerful sharpener I have ever used in my life and I have been in numerous office environments.

To address the complaint of one reviewer that the sharpener eats the entire pencil, let me explain my experience. I just got through a stack of about 30 pencils and my experience is this is dependent on the brand/quality of the pencil. For most pencils, this was not a problem at all and the sharpening came to a natural conclusion.

For a few varieties, it did eat up a lot of pencil, but i realized after a while that the pencils were sharpened long before and I did not always need to get that sense of completion. I would just take the pencil out after a few seconds. As I mentioned previously, this thing is a machine, and if you keep the pencil in there, it will keep sharpening it until you have nothing left. I view this as part of the positive experience.

I highly recommend this unit.

So far this has been an awesome pencil sharpner. I received it quickly. Most important it is durable, when I first received it all my kids were excited to use it. And of course one of them put the eraser end in first...but I was able to pull out the metal piece and it works just fine. Worth the money, wish I would have bought this before I bought the others.

When I was a kid, we had a boston electric pencil sharpener.

So you can imagine my happiness/surprise when I saw "Xacto by Boston" on the box. I felt better about my purchase already, because Xacto means nothing to me, really, as far as pencil sharpeners go. Seeing as how I had just spent a small fortune on a pencil sharpener, I needed something to make me feel better but I had already gone through several manual and one battery powered sharpener and I really needed something as good as the ol' Boston we had when I was a child.

Other interesting details from the box:

1) This supposedly has a receptacle size 7. The largest is a 10.

2) On a scale of 1 to 4, this one is rated for "heavy" use (a 3). The only higher usage is "continuous" (a 4).

3) It has a whopping 2 year guarantee.

4) The box also says "Auto-reset prevents motor burnout". we already used this feature. My kids sharpened about 50 pencils IN A ROW. it was soooo satisfying for them to see a perfectly sharpened pencil emerge each and every time they sharpened (even my wife's friend came by and wanted to sharpen a few). But, they overheated the poor sharpener. it stopped running. Sho nuff, the next day after it had cooled down it was ready for action again!

Overall, i have to say I was VERY unhappy to spend $40 to get a good sharpener, but this one has every indication of lasting a long, long, time.

I would rate this a definite BUY, once you gag down the almost $40 price tag. I wish I had bought it to begin with!

I teach 1st grade and we go through lots of pencils a day. I have had 2 other electric sharpeners and was tired of one side of the pencil never getting sharp enough to expose the whole lead at the end. Kids were picking at the wood all the time trying to get their pencils to work. I researched pencil sharpeners and relied mostly on reviews so I wanted to let all the teachers out there know, this sharpener is my favorite. It is quick and pencils are sharp all the way around and life in 1st grade is all good!!

I use an electric pencil sharpener every single day of my life, for hours at a time. The one I've relied on for years -- a "lesser" X-Acto model -- started to grind and break lead, so I figured I'd splurge and buy a top-of-the-line X-Acto model. This is not, however, top-of-the-line.

1) The blades do not sharpen the pencil. Sure, they hone it into a sharp-looking cone like all pencil sharpeners do -- but they leave a substantial flat end to the point which is, by any draughtsman's standard, not at all "sharp." Maybe this defect was a problem only with the one I bought, but for $40 I would have expected that its main usage would have at least been tested. It is NOT a "sharpener."

2) Most importantly, however, the actual blades are recessed so far into the guts of this machine that you have to reserve 3-4" of pencil to hold before the blades even engage. I frequently use pencils down to 1" or less before I ditch them, so that means I'm losing 1/3 of the life of each pencil. The sharpener I'm replacing (and to which I'm returning, after I return THIS clunker) engage almost immediately upon insertion of the pencil itself.

Yes, this review sounds insane. But if sharp pencils are your life, then don't buy this extremely poorly-designed deep-action pencil-wasting "blunter." - Professional - Pencil Sharpener - X-acto - High School'

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Special Effects - dvd, diesel

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What happens when you cross a little James Bond, extreme sports, Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, and the director of "Fast and the Furious", you get a fun-loving adventure film called, "xXx".

"xXx" starts with the CIA discovering that their current stock of secret agents are unable to get undercover with a new gang of international terrorists. The terrorists enjoy spending their time at a trendy dance club, enjoying fast cars, and even faster women. With no hope of placing one of the current CIA agents into this organization, Special Agent Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson), decides to begin recruiting some "new talent" that would fit in to the terrorist's world. Enter Xander Cage (Vin Diesel), an extreme sports junky that hosts his own extreme show, The Xander Zone. After clashing with the law one to many times, earning him the three strikes penalty that will surely land him in prison, Gibbons offers Xander an opportunity to repay his country for the freedom he enjoys by inserting himself into the world of this terrorist organization, while trying to discover what exactly they are planning.

"xXx" is by no means a replacement to the 007 films, but it is an entertaining alternative for the new generation. With plenty of action and explosions, even a decent storyline and acting, this is quite an enjoyable movie. Critic's of Diesel saying that he was a poor man's James Bond, should realize that neither Diesel or the filmmaker's set out to replace James Bond, merely give audiences a new, uncoventional kind of spy movie. "xXx" had the makings of a highly successful franchise with the phenomenal box office success that this film enjoyed, sadly the sequel "xXx: State of the Union" was not nearly as good.

Even though the sequel was lackluster, "xXx" is quite enjoyable. If you are a fan of action movies that actually have a story to accompany the explosive action sequences, then "xXx" is the movie for you. Go check it out, you won't be disappointed.

"xXx: Unrated Director's Cut" contains violence, nudity, and language. XXX (Unrated Director's Cut)

First off, I like the film. But... the blu-ray is disappointing. The clarity is not what I expected and no better than the DVD. In a word, grainy. So, if you got the film on DVD, just keep than and enjoy a fun action film. The blu-ray has no further special features or anything else special.

"xXx" can be summed up in four words: "Joylessly Over The Top". It is easily the dumbest movie I have seen in a long career of enjoying dumb movies, and that's saying A LOT. I liked "Deep Rising", for God's sake. You all know the story: Extreme Sports maverick Xander "XXX" Cage is given a choice by the government: Work as a secret agent, or go to prison for life. He chooses option A. And so this train wreck of a movie begins. Lets start with the story. As a dumb action movie, I am inclined to ignore the gaping plot holes and let myself enjoy the action. This is allowed in most dumb movies. However, you need some convincing performances or at least some good lines to make this forgiveable. "xXx" has none of these, save a good turn by Samuel L. Jackson as Diesel's recruiter and contact in the NSA. Now, the NSA has no field agents in real life. The only people they recruit are number crunchers who can sift through encripted data and listen in on conversations. And they certainly don't have the kind of secret weapons cache like the one Diesel gets in this flick. At least Bond film have the good sense to make him MI-6, a real British spy agency that MIGHT have stuff like the gear Bond gets. Why not make the agency the CIA? I mean, at least the CIA has operatives. I don't know why this bothered me so much, but perhaps it's because I've read books on the subject and the stupidity of Hollywood is getting to me. Anyway, Back to Samuel L. He's always good, but in this movie he is only serviceable. Still, compared to Vin Diesel, Jackson turns in a performance of Shakesperean power. Diesel is that bad in these scenes. I was actually embarrassed for him when I saw him act alongside Jackson. Ah-nold would make a more convincing Hamlet than Diesel does in this role. Of course, when he's along other bad actors like Asia Argento(Generic Female Counterpart) and Marton Csokas(Generic Russian Bad Guy), he seems serviceable. The movie would have been better if they had cast, say, Eric Roberts in the Jackson role, since he can't act either. At least than Vin wouldn't look lost in his scenes with him. The plot is neo-Bond with a techno/metal soundtrack, in which a group called "Anarchy 99" plans to wipe out a whole bunch of people using toxic gas and a lame submarine. Vin has to infiltrate them and stop them. Why the US government would send an untried agent against these guys is never explained, as nothing Diesel does couldn't have been done with someone they gave a deep background to. Despite the opening scene, where a Bond-lookalike gets offed, the government actually trains operatives to infiltrate groups like this. On to the direction. Rob Cohen proved with "The Fast and the Furious" that he is a heavily incompetent action director(Forget acting. Anyone who heard Diesel perform the line "I live my life a quarter mile at a time" in that mess knows Cohen can't direct actors). The digital scenes in "Furious" looked awful, and they look awful here as well. The action is blown over the top in an attempt to make up fot the shoddy directing. With the exception of one memorable scene involving the destruction of a corvette, everything in "xXx" is uninvolving and unoriginal. Hence the tern "joyless". It's all a technical excercise. There is no sense of danger, as Diesel is apparently able to do 18 things at once and never appears at risk. Cohen should be locked away for his many crimes against cinema.All in all, I hated this movie(could you tell?). I wanted my money back. I want Vin Diesel to stick to roles like Riddick in "Pitch Black", where his dialouge is minimal. Avoid buying this one and pick up an old Bond movie or even the flawed but interesting "Minority Report". You'll thank yourself later. - Dvd - Special Effects - Action - Diesel'

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Camping Stoves - camp stoves, other

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I bought this item with a Coleman camping stove, which has turned out to be excellent (the stove). Regardless of whether you extend this stand fully or peg the legs in place IT IS NOT SAFE. The liklihood that your stove will fall through this stand is extremely high. I spent a long time experimenting with it before being forced to return it and buy a table. On the package another suggested use is as a stand for suspending a rubbish bag. If that is all that it can be used for, it's not worth the cash. A redesign is needed. Coleman High Stand for use with Coleman 2 or 3 Burner Stoves or a Chest Cooler

This telescopes out and two long hinges flip over and lock in place. It weighs next to nothing. It's quite useful, it's no fun to cook on the ground. I never had any issue with this stand not supporting my camp stove. There's no way it will collapse. Just use common sense and it will do what it's designed to do.

We own two of these stove stands, and we are considering a third as an addition, not a replacement. We purchased the stands 8 to 10 years ago, and have used them several times each year. They are none the worse for wear. We put our 2-burner camp stove on one stand and the ice chest on a second one. Based on the design of our current stove, we must carefully gauge the proper width of the stand for the stove, but once it is set up, it is perfect. The feet of the stand have holes for staking the stand in conditions where you might feel a need to do so, such as when set up on uneven terrain, or if you anticipate people or pets might be inclined to bump into it. Overall, we find the stands to be very stable. I like this design over a camp "kitchen" because it allows me the flexibility of setting up each component individually, based on the characteristics of the camp site. This stand cannot be beat for portability: lightweight and extremely compact when collapsed. Sometimes we place a board over the top of the stand to make a portable table for preparation, dishwashing, or to support a small grill.

As for price, we paid $20 for the original purchase, and the current price is not that much more; I consider the Coleman High Stand an excellent value.

Let me begin by saying that I purchased this stand for tailgating and not camping. Before I even knew this item existed I was looking to purchase an additional portable table because I had been using one of those portable tables that roll up into a bag to support my Coleman grill. Those tables can easily run $40 to $50 so when I saw this item for about $20 I gave it a shot. The stand works, but the design could have been better. The main problem is that there is no locking mechanism in place to prevent the side legs from "butterfly-ing out to the sides". The premise is that the weight of the item on top will prevent this from happening. To be on the safe side I bought Velcro tape for $5 and placed strips under the handles of the grill and on the stand itself to create my own "locking mechanism". I have only used the stand once, but the velcro trick worked and I was able to use my roll up table for other things.

I think this product is priced too high based on it's quality (I paid $32, I think it's worth about $20). The stand is very shaky and it really needs to be staked down when used. Also if you use the stand to place a camp stove on it you need to secure the stove to the stand with velcro straps. The good news is that it is very light, compact and easy to use. The height is just right as well.

This stand should work well with any size camp stove. Other reviews say the stand is too big and their stove nearly drops through to the ground. But a quick look at the box reminds you that it is "adjustable". In other words, if the fully extended stand is too big from left to right, then set it up for the correct size for your stove. You still need to use the support bars to set the stove on. This means it is always fully extended from front to back, but left to right is what you need to adjust to fit your stove. That's what we do and it is perfectly stable and is a great accessory. Very light and quick to set up. Glad we own one.

I too found this product very unsafe. Just the slightest bump or nudge, like attaching the propane bottle and the stove was falling through the middle. Not the best thing to have happen when you're trying to cook. I guess I could glue on some velcro strips, like one of the other writers, but I shouldn't have to.

Instead, I did convert it into a trash bag holder. I got it on a year end close out so the sting of an expensive trash holder isn't too bad.

When I first saw this stand online I thought "PERFECT! Now I can free up space on my folding table!" I went and checked my stove...yup, its a Coleman too, so this should be perfect!

The UPS man dropped it off and I was excited to give it a shot. The first thing that hit me was that it didn't have a sleeve to hold it or any clips/straps to hold it closed. No problem, got out the Velcro One-Wrap (love the stuff) and made two straps to keep it closed. Even so, it rattled a little in the car as I drove to the campsite.

It is finished in brown anodizing and I can see where the parts were turret-punched, not machined, and where they were left mill-finished before getting anodized. I can understand, at this price point that's what you get and the anodizing should keep the aluminum supports from corroding for a long time.

At camp, it was a real disappointment. I set it up correctly but it was still really flexible and unstable unless on perfectly flat ground. It has rubber non-slip strips on the top support beams which didn't even make contact with my NEW (and supposedly compatible) Coleman 2-burner stove. Come on guys! Can't even make a stand that is compatible with your own stove? I wound up knocking it over while cooking which was just embarrassing. I folded it up and put it in the truck and I'll probably wind up giving it to Goodwill because honestly it did nothing for me.

This product could be improved, and I could modify it to fit my stove well and modify it to be more stable, but I'm not sure it is worth it. It should have worked well in the first place without me tinkering with it. For now, the stove will live on the table. - Other - Camp Stoves - Camping Stove - Accessories'

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Porter Cable Combo Pack - 18v, porter cable

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I bought this kit earlier this week, so the impressions below are only from a few hours of use. Also, I'm a DIY homeowner, not a contractor or professional. Because some people may be considering Ryobi's similarly-priced cordless P842 18V Nicad kit, I've thrown in a few comparisons to that as well.

By component:

DRILL: It feels a lot like the lower end of DeWalt's range. The motor section is heavy and substantial, though with nowhere near the front-weighted heft of DeWalt's XRP line. The handle is thinner than I expected and the design is closer to compact than full-size. It has a motor brake and a 1/2" metal chuck, two useful professional features. Balance is above-average, though overhead and precision work would benefit from a lighter unit. The torque clutch has 32 settings and isn't excessively difficult to adjust. The drill has a two-mode switch, a variable speed trigger, and generally sounds refined. Both modes are powerful and were capable of driving a 3" boring bit. In torque and RPM, the high-speed mode isn't far off from my Ryobi corded drill from a few years ago.

The only negative so far is in the build tolerances of the chuck. There's about 1/16 turn of chuck play before the gears engage when the trigger is pressed, and my particular drill's chuck is noticeably misaligned. The wobble radius for very small bits can be wider than the bit. This makes it slightly harder to drill in a precise spot, though it has minimal effect once the hole is started. Both my corded and cordless Rybois are perfectly aligned. I've docked a star from the PC kit for this. On exchange, I tried two more of the same drills at Lowes. The first replacement was out of true to the same extent. The second was only slightly off, so I kept it. I also noticed a small power variance among the three.

Relative to the 18V Ryobi drill, the Porter Cable is a small step above. The Ryobi chuck is plastic, it isn't quite as powerful, and the battery on my tester was unusually difficult to dismount. The chuck was perfectly centered, however, the torque clutch is easier to adjust, and the drill handles very well. Other reviewers have noted durability problems with the PC's battery spring, rubber grip, and forward/reverse switch with professional use. Porter Cable has a 3-year warranty on this tool set. Ryobi, only two.

Porter Cable sells a slightly better version of this drill with Lithium batteries. Minor cosmetic differences aside, it has one key advantage: the chuck has a hand-tightened locking system that sounds like a ratchet wrench. This prevents the chuck from loosening before you want it to. DeWalt, Hitachi, and others have equipped a similar system on most of their drills.

FLASHLIGHT: A throwaway, but effective. It weighs almost nothing without the battery, so it'll hold itself up when one is mounted. It has a rubberized push-button on/off switch. The lamp creates a moderately narrow spotlight beam and does not articulate. Rybobi's version does. The bulb is incandescent, so even if the unit could stand being dropped, the bulb would probably break. A wider LED beam would be more useful and would have better battery life and impact resistance.

CIRCULAR SAW: Really decent for a cordless tool. It uses a 6.5" blade as compared to Ryobi's 5.5" and is therefore a larger unit. Build quality is very good. The height and angle adjustments work smoothly with no slop, and the motor has an automatic brake when the throttle isn't activated. The included blade rotates with almost no horizontal movement and leaves a smooth, unsplintered edge with 1" pine, though the wide kerf chews up more wood than I'd like. 2" wood is well within the blade depth of the unit. The limiting factor is the battery. It lasted for a half-hour of random cuts into 1" and 2" pine. The saw's RPM is lower than a corded model. It lacks the power to push through a bind, and so requires more care in how the wood is arranged. Pacing is slower. Even with two batteries, I'd choose a corded saw for anything more strenuous than small projects, though this saw is definitely capable of cutting 2x4s. An aftermarket blade will improve battery life and cutting capacity.

RECIPROCATING SAW: Build quality on par with the other units. Not too large, not too heavy. The Goldilocks of saws, though pint-sized relative to corded models. Cheap blade. Lots of slop in all directions on a dry run, but accuracy improves considerably when the blade begins to bite. I bought it to cut tree limbs outside. I sliced through five in the 1" to 3" range with minimal effort, and I look forward to doing the rest of the yard. The battery is plenty powerful for this saw and lasts for about an hour. Like the drill, the trigger is variable-speed, though there isn't a motor brake or orbital blade movement. The blade mounting system is standardized and fits almost all aftermarket blades. There's a practical limit to the advantages of a longer blade; my 9" pruning blades with giant gnarly teeth don't cut much faster than the stock unit. A chainsaw or one of the heavier corded units would be preferable for branches greater than 6".

BATTERIES: Lighter than the old 19.2V packs. Charges take 40 minutes and cause the battery to noticeably warm. Dismounting is spring-triggered, so changing batteries is very easy. Durability as yet unknown, but if you want nickel-cadmium batteries to last, don't charge them until they've run down.

BAG: Canvas with internal metal frames. It's rectangular when open and triangular when closed, like an old-fashioned purse. There are no internal partitions of any sort, nor any compartments to hold bits and other small pieces. On the plus side, you can just pile your tools in the bag instead of arranging them in plastic. On the minus, you're piling your tools in a bag. It's perhaps a statement of build quality that Porter-Cable believes they can all just bang together, or more likely, the bag was cheaper than a plastic case.

PRICING AND VALUE: Lowes often sells this kit for $129. The drill/saw combo is $90. I believe the reciprocating saw is the second most useful tool here, and therefore find the more expensive kit a better value. Ryboi's kit is similarly priced. Between the two, and given that the Ryobi circular saw isn't as good, I'd choose Porter Cable unless Ryobi's larger selection of 18V accessory tools is a compelling factor. PC's lithium batteries are backwards-compatible with this kit, so upgrading power sources requires only a new battery and charger. I'm not convinced that even a serious DIYer would require a more professional set of tools. PORTER-CABLE PC418C-2 18-Volt NiCd Cordless 4-Piece Combo Kit - Circular Saw - 18v - Porter Cable - Do It Yourself'

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Milwaukee Roofing Nailer - roofing nailer, nail gun

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I recently ordered a box of these nails along with a nail gun and hose. Big mistake. Almost every coil was crushed, many broken. I tried to recoil the nails by unwinding the crushed coils and then recoiling them but it still didn't work as many broke then and the ones I tried to use jammed repeatedly in the gun. I would just avoid this item unless they can find a better way to package them or ensure that they are in good condition. Grip-Rite GRCR3DGAL 1-1/4-Inch-by-15-Degree Galvanized Coil Roofing Nail (7,200 per Box)

Ordered 6 coils to finish a patio roofing job and they were shipped quickly and worked well in my Milwaukee Coil gun.

I was trying to find reviews on this nail brand but I didn't see any reviews in my 20 minutes of searching. I told myself I would write a review when I used them so others would know. I am very new at the whole wood working thing and this patio was the first time I used an air nailer. The OSB was put down with longer nails but I wanted the 3/4 inch nails from this seller for the roll roofing so I wouldn't have much of the nail showing on the other side of the OSB after nailing. I searched a couple of hardware stores but didn't see any coil 3/4 nails in stock so I decided to order online.

As far as quality, they seem pretty good. I had maybe 6-7 jam out of 500 or so nails that I used and that could have easily been operator error. - Reconditioned - Roofing Nailer - Bostitch - Nail Gun'

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Bathroom Fan Timer

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This switch is similar to the Leviton 10-20-30-60 timer. I chose this switch because several reviews for the Leviton mentioned that the buttons were somewhat fragile. This switch does not have that problem. When you press the button, it starts with 10 minutes and adds time with each press. For my purposes (bathroom fan), I prefer this anyway.

Installation was mostly painless, except the mounting brackets seem to be set too far forward. In other words, after I mounted the switch and installed the wallplate, the face was sunk too far into the wall, and it did not look good. I fixed this by using some small shims between the bracket and the wall.

Also, the included wire nuts are sized for only one standard wire (~12-14 gauge) and the switch. Make sure you have the right ones on hand, if needed. Last, the switch requires a neutral wire (white) to operate; make sure you have one (mine was tucked way in the back). Woods 59007 Decora Style 30-15-10-5 Minute Preset Wall Switch Timer, White, 30-Minute

The Woods 59007 Decora style 30-15-10-5 minute timer switch is a pretty nice timer switch.

The first time you press the pushbutton switch, the switch turns on, and will turn off after 5 minutes. If you desire for the switch to be on a longer timer, the pushbutton switch can be pressed again to increase the on-time. The second press increases the on-time to 10 minutes. The third press increases the on-time to 15 minutes. The fourth press increases the time to 30 minutes. A fifth press will turn the switch back off.

As the remaining on-time counts down, the LED indicators show the approximate on-time remaining. For example, if the switch is turned on with a 15 minute setting, initially the green 15-minute LED is lit. After being on for 5 minutes, the green 15-minute LED is turned off, and the green 10-minute LED is lit. After 5 more minutes, the green 10-minute LED is turned off, and the green 5-minute LED is lit. After 5 more minutes, the green 5-minute LED is turned off and the red off LED is lit (and the switch output is turned off, turning off whatever the switch is powering).

At any time, the pushbutton switch can be pressed to change the remaining on-time. Each press of the pushbutton moves the on-time setting to the next value in a circular pattern as follows. 5 minute -> 10 minute -> 15 minute -> 30 minute -> off -> 5 minutes -> etc. For instance, if the 5-minute LED is lit, and the pushbutton is pressed twice, the 15 minute LED will be lit instead of the 5 minutes LED, and the switch will remain on for 15 more minutes.

The switch is totally silent except when turning the switch on and when the switch is turned off, at which times you can hear a soft click. I've not disassembled the switch to tell for certain, but it sounds like the switch uses a relay for switching (rather than a triac) to turn its output on and off.

The 30, 15, 10, and 5 minutes LEDs are all green. The off LED is red.

The timings appear to be very accurate. When I tested, the timings seemed to be accurate within 1 second.

The switch plastic has a bit of fine texturing. When I installed it, I think the texturing made it appear very slightly less white than the switch cover around it, but the apparent color difference was not (in my opinion) objectionable.

Here is why I didn't give the switch a 5-star rating: As other reviews have noted, if you just install the switch and screw it into place in the junction box, it sits too low beneath the switch cover to look nice. There is an objectionable (in my opinion) gap around the edge of the switch between the switch and the switch cover. What I did was to put 3 flat washers (number of flat washers determined empirically by trial and error) between the switch and the junction box to shim the switch forward. After doing this, the switch looked nice under the switch cover.

One last quirk with the switch: The directions tell you to wire the switch's green wire to the house wiring's green wire. I've never seen a green wire in house wiring. In the house wiring, the earth wire is pretty much always an uninsulated wire. What they should have said is to connect the switch's green wire to the house wiring's uninsulated wire (or wire with green insulation).

I installed this switch to control a bathroom exhaust fan. After shimming up the switch with flat washers as described above, the switch has worked well and looks nice. I can't comment on the reliability of the switch, as I have only been using it for about a week. I hope that it lasts a long, long time, because I really like this switch. I intend on installing it in two more bathrooms in my house when I add bathroom exhaust fans in those bathrooms.

These switches work perfectly. I like how these count down the time remaining with the green LEDs. More presses adds time. There is no option to leave the switch on indefinitely, which is great since it is supposed to be a timer. It's nice that there is only one button under the red LED, it is easy to find in the dark. Mounts flush with the switchplate for a clean look. Solid.

I like the general design of this switch timer except for the small push button. The price was about right. But....it stopped working after only a month. Who knows why. A thunderstorm (lightning)? If it was lightning, then this is the only electrical/electronics in the entire house affected.

There is no information on the Woods manufacturing site about warranty. The Amazon process is vauge, but it appears if I pay for shipping I may get an 80% credit. Including the cost of the shipping, this would mean I'd spend about 20 minutes of my time to get about $7-$8 back, which I may do, if I have time.

I recommend the mechanical type instead. We have 2 Woods switch timers of the mechanical rotary windup type. Those work great. One is about 9 months old and used constantly. If you want a switch/timer, I'd get one of the Woods rotary wind-up types: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001XCWLWY/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img'

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Air Tools - staplers, air tools

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I nabbed one of these after my positive experiences with Bosch's new brad nailer, and am pleased to say it works every bit as well as its brother in every regard. It's light as a feather, packs tons of power, and generally just feels much more hardy than the equivalent Hitachi gun. Jam clears are tool free (though I haven't experienced a jam yet, so I can't say how easy it is to use in practice), the exhaust port is freely rotatable, and the set depth can be fine tuned right there on the nose.

While I'm greatly satisfied with my purchase, I still have to dock Bosch a star for failing to include the coupler fitting I'd venture a good 99% of users will need to actually slap it on the end of their air hoses, and I'm just not crazy about the way the triggers on these models are held in place by a tiny rubber washer of questionable longevity. Only time will tell how well they hold up, but something tells me I'll be special ordering a handful of the things long before the internal seals die on me. The dark blue cover that sits under the magazine and keeps the follower's springs from jumping out is also made of a somewhat flimsy bit of plastic, but the way it's put together, I don't think it's likely to get broken unless subjected to the kind of abuse that rarely takes place in a finish carpenter or upholsterer's shop. Still, it really should have been metal, or at least ABS plastic. Bosch STN150-18 18 Gauge Narrow Crown Stapler

...Bosch came out with airtools... I have been thru PorterCable, Bostich, Stanley, Senco but none of them measures up to the Bosch Stapler! I use it in my cabinet shop and a stapler can finally keep up with my production! It is especially great that you easily can see how many staples are left in the stapler... I will get the other tools as well when my existing ones give up. I love Bosch...

This tool has great ergonomics, sinks staples consistently, only lacks a trigger lock as far as features go, and is just nice to use. And while other top load staplers (like the Hitachi) have the release and catch for tool-free jam clearing sticking out on the front of the gun, Bosch put the release and the catch just behind the nose of the gun, relatively out of the way. Really smart. But, the catch seems much wider than needed and limits how close you can get the gun when the body of it is parallel to a wall or other obstruction (much less of an issue than the bump on the front of the gun though).

The body and nose of the gun are about as long as they are on other staplers, but much narrower, so far so good. But the bump on the plastic cover just below the depth setting dial keeps you from getting closer than 1/2" or so from obstructions when the body of the stapler is perpendicular to the wall. Like when face stapling flooring against a wall. A little too close for comfort when you want fasteners to be covered by base or other trim that will be installed later. With my older Bostitch stapler I'm able to get much closer, @1/4" or so away from the wall.

Finally the plastic magazine cover that holds the staples in place is thin plastic. Unlikely to survive even one fall from @3'.

In short, this is a great gun in a lot of ways, and it's almost there but I personally feel that these design choices really keep this tool from living up to its potential.

This staple gun fails miserably! The deepest I can get the staples to sink is only "nearly flush" with the workpiece! This is with the gun settings at deepest sink and "Turbo Action" employed.

Of all the Bosch tools I have bought and used without the slightest problem this one is a real disapointment.

The newly engineered firing mechanism sounded wonderful. I will wait a couple more years before I think about buying another pnuematic nailer from Bosch (so they can get the bugs worked out). This stapler is being returned. - Staplers - Air Tools'

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