Electric Pencil Sharpener

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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 1716 Heavy-duty electric pencil sharpener, walnut grain, 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."'

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John Jackson Miller - star wars, kindle

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It's been a long time since I've read a Star Wars novel, although I am a big fan of the franchise in general. I haven't read any of the books that tell the stories following the time period of the movies, although I've certainly read about those books and thought they sounded interesting. After reading "Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #1: Precipice", which takes inside the people of the Sith and gives fascinating insight into things from their perspective, I'm now eager to read more.



The author does an excellent job of taking the reader inside the Sith mind, and with a very short tale he manages to weave an extremely compelling tale about the beginnings of the Lost Tribe of the Sith. It's clear that the sole purpose of this freebie is to stir up interest and demand for the upcoming book, "Omen (Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi, Book 2)". For me at least, it worked. Although short, this is a story definitely worth checking out. Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #1: Precipice

As a pr move to get people excited about omen, this wins. As a stand alone short story in the star wars universe, this wins.



It's also a rare opportunity to engage the sith as actual characters with depth and dynamic development. John Jackson Miller has matured as an author and left us with something deserving 5 stars.



At times the storytelling is briefly muddled but at it's core this is a great story, definitely worth checking out and I already find myself looking forward to lost tribe #2

I was somewhat let down by this brief story. I enjoy all 6 Star Wars movies, though this would be my first entrance to the Star Wars universe outside of those movies. Perhaps because of that, I was a bit lost at times.



I understand that the book is a short story, but I felt that it assumed a greater than average knowledge of the SW universe. It needed more of a description of the characters than was present. Telling me that a character is a Houk, but not telling me more than that is not helpful. Had I known what a Houk was, perhaps it would make sense. Same thing with the Massassi (sp?).



I am in the process of reading several series of books which involve reuse of the the same characters, fictional races, and fictional planets. A core feature of these which I felt was lacking here is some backstory of the plot element being discussed. There is an art to bringing a new reader up-to-speed without boring those familiar with the subject matter. Perhaps the author here dispensed with the back-story in the interests of space, but to the detriment of the story.



In addition, the author is not as descriptive as necessary at times. At one point in the story, two characters appear to be talking alone (Yaru and Devore), until a third character is addressed (Seelah), however there was no mention of the character entering the room. In another area, Yaru utilizes the Force to affect a mechanism on the outside of the ship after Devore comments that going out there would be dangerous. I would guess that Devore would realize that using the Force was a possibility. Also, I felt that the author was not descriptive enough the the Force was actually being applied. Lastly, the scene between Yaru and Devore felt disjointed.



With a setting as rich as the Star Wars universe, I felt that more attention should have been paid to the back-story of the Sith, races, etc... with less of a play-by-play feel to the story.

This is the worst Star Wars book I have read (out of around 20 or so). It is short, pointless, and forgettable. As other reviewers have stated, it is just a generic story with some elements of the force/light sabers thrown in. I will not read the next installment since I don't care about any of the characters.



The only reason I gave it 2 stars (instead of 1) is because its free.

I read this book (and the whole series) with my nine-year-old son after finishing my own sci-fi eBook and we had a hard time putting it down. When good writing appeals to a wide range of ages, then it's often viewed as great writing. This book delivers just that.



Lost Tribe of the Sith as a four-part series for Kindle is an excellent character study on the lifestyles of the Sith and their immersion into a foreign world. Moreover, it's filled with adventure and intrigue as you might expect from a Star Wars novel. What I really like about the novel is that, while there is a focus on the bad guys (the Sith), the plot doesn't get overly dark. The treatment of the series from book 1 to 4 is clever and balanced. By the end of the story, there are even Sith characters that I frequently mistake for guys guys because they are so likable.



Note that there is also a fifth part out to this series, and it is equally good with gripping new plot elements. However, I see part five as starting a new story arc 1000 years later. So I digest parts 1-4 as a complete story, and part 5 as a related, yet compelling new story being introduced, with a cliffhanger ending.

Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #1: Precipice

Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #2: Skyborn

Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #3: Paragon

Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #4: Savior

Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #5: Purgatory



As a sci-fi fan, sci-fi dad, and sci-fi author, I was thoroughly impressed and entertained.

Star Chosen: A Science Fiction Space Opera for the Whole Family

These e-books are good for free books, but something about the way they are written I find them hard to follow at times. Overall though, if you're reading the current Fate of the Jedi story line it's a good tie in that fills in some of the back story of the Sith.

Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Precipice, by John Jackson Miller



As I've said before, normally I don't care for short stories. But I make exceptions sometimes, and how could I pass up a Star Wars short story?



"Precipice" is an accompaniment to the new Star Wars series Fate of the Jedi, and tells how the missing Sith tribe landed on Kesh. The short story series also provides a few clues for Paul S. Kemp's "Star Wars: Crosscurrent."



Omen, a Sith ship full of Lignan crystals crashes onto the planet Kesh. The survivors of the crash are stranded on the planet, with no way to contact their Sith masters or fly off Kesh.



"Precipice" has a Star Wars feel, and I liked the main character, Yaru Korsin. He's a captain in the vein of Han Solo: cocky, sarcastic, self-assured. But he also has the ability to use the Force. And while a Sith, he is disgusted when some of the survivors start fighting amongst themselves, as the dark Force users are wont to do.



And that's about where "Precipice" finishes. It's a pretty good story, and I'm looking forward to reading the others in the series.



3/5. - Star Wars - Star Wars Books - Sith - Kindle'

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Training Gloves - boxing bag gloves, boxing

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Alot of people who have written reviews, in my opinion are not realizing that these gloves are not being sold as a replacement for boxing/bag gloves.



These gloves are meant to be used a quick and easy alternative for HAND WRAPS, as in that tape/ace bandage looking thing that you see boxer's on TV wrapping their hands and wrists with before putting them inside of their boxing gloves.



They ARE overly tight and overly snug but that is to prevent injury to the small bones in your hand and also from spraining your wrist.



Two problems, the gel is to large to fit in some boxing gloves. And the stitching is somewhat weak , and since your buying this online ... I recommend going to your local sports goods store and try on the sizes and see what is good for you, that is what I did. Also over time the gloves break in like a baseball glove and become more comfortable and less overly tight.



Remember NOT A BAG GLOVE, NOT BOXING GLOVES Everlast EverGel Hand Wraps (Black, Small)

I got these wraps as part of an Everlast set that also included a pair of Everlast boxing gloves. I've only had them for two months and use them primarily under my gloves and on my Century Wavemaster boxing bag. They provide nice wrist support and are easy to get off and on. I see them holding up well in the future.



Since there is no mention of sizing on the package, I did an internet search for how to measure your hands to buy these gloves, and this is what I found:



To determine correct size, measure the distance across the lowest knuckles (the knuckles you punch with) of the 4 upper fingers (all the fingers except the thumb). Measure by laying knuckles flat on a ruler. How to measure your hand:



Size Measurement

Small 3" - 3 1/4"

Medium 3 1/4" - 3 1/2"

Large 3 1/2" - 3 3/4"

X-Large 3 7/8" +



Hopefully that helps you pick out the right size!

I was so excited to receive this item. I paid for 2 day shipping. I got it and the first time I tried to put them on the mesh on the top of the glove tore at the seam. My hands are large, but not huge and these are the XL size. They don't have a larger size. The gel was nice when I was hitting the bag with them so if your hands are smaller and you won't have to work hard to put them on, it might be a nice purchase.

THESE ARE NOT GLOVES FOR HITTING A HEAVY BAG!!!!! I have read reviews that say that these aren't strong or well made for bag gloves...That's because these ARE NOT bag gloves, they are gel hand wraps. You use these for extra protection for your knuckles and wrists. You put these on and then you put your BAG GLOVES ON OVER THEM....sorry for repeating myself but I just want to clear. anyway great product if you use them correctly. You may need to buy your heavy bag gloves one size larger than your actual size so these fit under them. My wrists and knuckles feel great after a hard workout on the heavy bag much more support than classic hand wraps.

The gel is very nice. Unfortunately these are not made normal and seem to be narrow for their size. Also, the stitching is not the best. The first time I put mine on, the stitching holding the netting on the back side of the glove, gave loose and I had to re-stitch about 1 inch of it. Not a big deal to me but they should make them strong enough that you dont have to do that. Other than that, the design is pretty cool. These are just not very well built. They are made in china so what do we expect. Should have gone for some more expensive gloves.

I read reviews of a few different gloves and went to the store to try them on and get the best fitting ones. I didn't plan on buying this particular pair, but I purchased these because they were the only brand in stock which fit me. So far, they have worked well, but the stitching doesn't look very well done. There are vents in the palm which keeps the moisture down some. They are comfortable and provide good, sufficient cushioning for light bag work (i.e. a cardio-kickboxing class.) For serious heavy bag work, as other reviews have stated, these are only meant to substitute for hand wraps.

On sizing, I am a woman with small hands, and a men's medium fits me great. My husband, who has what are normally considered medium hands, says these are too small for him. Even if you buy them on-line for a better price, I definitely suggest trying them on in the store.

Overall, I am relatively satisfied. Depending on how long they last, I may or may not get a different brand next time.

My other experience is with normal cloth handwraps, such as the Everlast 4455-3 3-Pk. Hand Wraps, so I'm comparing the Gel Wraps to the cloth ones.



A different reviewer said that these are still hand wraps, not boxing gloves and I agree with them. I tried using these for the heavy bag, and my knuckles would bruise, since these wraps don't have enough padding.



So these are definitely not a replacement for gloves - they are meant to go inside regular boxing gloves.



The main reason I bought the gel wraps is because I would bruise up my hands on the speedbag without wraps, and it takes quite while to put on the cloth ones, so I wanted something more convenient that would protect my hands while using the speedbag.



These certainly do the trick and I'm happy with the purchase for that reason. However, here is some additional information that other people might find useful:



Pros:

- super easy and fast to put on and take off

- they fit fine into my boxing gloves

- I have large hands, and size Large is snug

- I do like the gel padding, but I can't say that I have noticed any differences between gel and cloth other than as a space saver.



In between:

- Unlike cloth wraps, which you layer onto your hands, these fit so snug that they can pull your hand out of the proper position, so you have to constantly keep your hands in mind. But while boxing you should keep your wrists and hands in mind anyway right?

- These wraps don't absorb nearly as much sweat as the cloth ones, so your hands are pretty gross after a good workout. It's not that big a deal for me, but may be for others.



Cons:

- The finger openings are too tight for me, especially on the thumbs. If this persists, I will probably cut them open a little bit to make room.

- After prolonged use (30 - 45 minutes) certain other parts on the gloves leave red lines on my hands and wrists.



Conclusion:

I like them, especially for the price and I'm happy with my purchase.



I just hope that the wraps will morph to fit my hands better. If they don't, I'll have to make some adjustments on my own, and there is no guarantee that the wraps will last. - Bag Gloves - Boxing - Boxing Bag Gloves - Everlast'

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Great Gift Idea - folding knives, scorpion

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Im so used to realy dull blades. When i got this knife i made a big mistake. I thought it was going to be dull. This was not the case. I grazed it across my finger about 7/8 inch and i saw that it is very sharp indeed. A few bandaids later made me respect this knife. I love it and i carry it where ever i go. For anybody who likes knives this is the item for you. Not that expensive either. Good quality and build. Good buy. Trademark Crimson Scorpion Tactical Folder Pocket Knife

this knife is very well made. the shipping time was also good time. i really like this knife because of the fine detail and the real scorpion inside!!! arrived extremely sharp and gave me a couple of cuts so be careful. descent sized and all of my friends are very jealous, and amazing price too. Buy this knife!!

I was hesitant about purchasing the Knife, Because It personally would be a downfall for me if there wasnt a clip on it, Since it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon (but if you can see the clip outside your pocket your perfectly fine.)



When it arrived in the mail, I was So impressed.

I bought this for my birthday and wow.



The design is amazing, it isn't flimsy at all its actually slightly heavy and durable, and the blade is sharp!



The price just makes it even more amazing. I would have easily paid 15-20$ if this was on a shelf at the store.



5 Star! :D

it's cool, very sharp & big. i was looking for a replacement pocket knife and thought this one looked different. it is! if you like a preserved scorpion, which i do, but thought not for daily use. it barely fits in my front pocket but has a clip that keeps it in place. now i carry it everywhere. besides it's intimidating and gives me feeling of security.



all in all, i've become used to its design that always gets fascinating comments. plus it can cut through almost anything. so please be careful...you can lose a finger or skin! i opened a box shipped to me and it cut through the cardboard like butter.



now my whole family wants one as a family 'tradition'. if it continues to surprise me #clean cuts, art stays intact, not break#, it will be the gift i give. yet, it's not perfect. opens nicely if you use your thumb and index finger #won't flip open or close#. heavy. once again, big for a pocket knife.

This knife not only arrived a day early, when I opened it, I was glad to see the good quality. I almost wanted to keep it for myself, the scorpion is fascinating. However, my friend is sure to love it. I was very pleased with the effeciancy.

I love this knife ... first of all it's cool as heck with a scorpion in the handle, but more importantly then that is that the handle feels good in my hand. the knife is perfect for carrying around and is not too heavy also you can can show it off and people will think it's cool as well

First off, let me just say that this is a very bad ass looking knife. Has Razor sharp blade, which is actually very rare from a factory made knife. It came very fast and i was pleasantly surprised. So l'll just list what i think are the pros and cons.



Pros:

Razor sharp blade

Very cool looking

Perfect condition

Looks as advertised

Pocket clip (no concealed weapons license needed)



Cons:

Flat back (a bit awkward to wield)

Difficult to open, at first (You have to condition your hand for a quick draw)



So all-in-all it's an amazing knife, worth more then what you pay for:) Be careful though, the blade has cut me a few times.

alright a 10 dollerpoket kife is a good deal this looks cool feels good in your hand and came sharp iv played with it just alil so far but when it opens it opes fast it looks like it can cut good i like it and i recomind it

I would clearly not think about using this knife as an all purpose knife.

It has yet a place in my collection, because of its uniqueness of shape and the embedded scorpion (real) in the handle.

The construction seems cheap but fair, not like something about to break at any opportunity but in direct relation to its price.

The blade is reasonably sharp.

I am satisfied. - Scorpion - Folding Knives - Camping Knife - Knife'

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Letter Opener

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I purchased one of these and am very pleased with it. It is a very beautiful product, feels solid and smooth and balances well in the hand. Looks just as nice in reality as it does on the picture. And and works well to boot! An absolute bargain for the $8 that I paid for it, and slightly unfortunate that the only existing review is a bad one because the customer didn't receive the product. Natico Letter Opener,Curve Silver (30-364)

I am so happy with my purchase. I had lost my old letter opener and waited three months searching high and low. I finally bought this and it is not only attractive to look at, it is so sturdy and sharp. It is all anyone could wish for. I am almost glad I lost my old one so I could get this.

Never got item, because Amazon lied and said they sent it twice! It was going to be a Christmas gift. Now its weeks later and its out of stock. Honesty is always best Amazon, instead of leaving me checking the mail 10 times a day! Who rates Amazon? I have better luck with the seller than I do with Amazon!'

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Powershot Stapler - stanley, staple gun

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Good construction. Easy to use. But it's weak for a heavy duty staple gun. My rusty arrow heavy duty staple gun had no trouble driving staples into pine but this gun with the same staples left a gap between staple and wood. Surebonder 5650 All-In-1 Heavy Duty Staple Gun

I had one stapler for 30+ yrs and happened to leave it behind at the range a week or so ago. That was used very hard and when left behind, did not have as much as a scratch on it. I've been looking for a replacement since, and have not found one. This looked the best, but...., it was chrome, it did not have the handle lock as shown, and it did not seat the staples evenly in different types of wood at any settings. I've sent it back. Very disappointed. Worse is, so far I have been to four stores and can not find any as nice, simplistic, compact and comfortable as my old stapler. So taken for granted, I don't even know who made it.



TSC sells this in chrome for $24, with the adjustment for depth on the top of the head, not one the side as this has. That also did not have the handle lock. Have to wonder who is designing this stuff?



My original stapler had a staple remover, a lock for the handle, worked on every size staple, was easy on the hand, no power adjust necessary, and, it never failed.... still looking.



Update 8/12/11: After driving well over 100 miles trying to find an in stock stapler to see if my staples would work, I finally went to Lowes and HD, I ended up with the Powershot HD forward action staple gun from HD. I just tried it in the same wood used to test the Surebonder stapler sold on Amazon, and it does not bury the staples nearly as well as that did (even though they did not go in evenly), and it does not seat them nearly as well as my 30 yr old stapler did.



I tried every stapler that is in stock. I wear XXL gloves and have big hands. Even so, the most expensive and what appeared to be the best stapler at HD, after three clicks on the handle, it had already had pinched the palm of my hand trying to use it.



The Powershot is by far the most ergonomic of any tested. Didn't expect I might need shorter staples as I only used either 1/2" or 9/16" staples in the past. If the Surebonder would have shown up as advertised on Amazon, I may have kept it. I liked the looks, it had a handle lock, which the one I received from Amazon did not, and it had more power than the Powershot. The difference in power is significant.

My staple gun arrived and it's as chrome as a Harley's tailpipes - not black at all. That's the only issue I have with it.



I'm using it to staple art canvas onto pine stretcher bars. Works great; the staples go in totally flush for me. If I increase the tension setting, it will bury the crown of the staple in the wood completely.



Haven't had it for long, but I haven't had any jams yet, even when I accidentally put some non-heavy duty staples in it (this caused it to shoot 3 staples at a time, btw).

Never buy the wrong staples again? The box of 5/16" Surebonder staples I just threw away begs to differ. Despite saying on the box itself that 5/16" will fit, they DO NOT. Never buying any Surebonder products again. - Pneumatic Stapler - Staple Gun - Stanley - Staplers'

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Cold Steel Products - self defense, cold steel

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A very comprehensive history book. The development of our modern concept of the Irish fighting stick is well time-lined (sometimes too well). The cultural history was highly informative and the strongest force in the book. However, those looking for "martial" value won't find it here. This is, and reads like, a historical tour of the subject. Shillelagh: The Irish Fighting Stick

For the non Irish this is a wealth of good honesty history with a look at how the oppressed can fight back.Great writing and some great ways to look at stick fighting (for those that have not stuck together the pages of Black Belt Mag over the last 30+ years.)Really this is a wonderful read by a good writer and teacher.Look forward to the next part!

Mr. Hurley has compiled the most thorough history of the Irish martial arts to date. I am a second-degree black belt in Filipino stick fighting and was raised in the Irish heritage district of Buffalo, NY. I had never heard of Irish martial arts until I came across these books. They are research based not technique. You won't learn to fight by reading this but you will discover a deep and rich martial tradition that has been suppressed for generations.



The Irish were renowned around the globe as warriors. When they emigrated to the USA the derogatory stereotype of the drunken fighting Irishman became the popular perception. This book restores the dignity and honor of a proud culture that developed a martial tradition the equal of the samurai code.



Shillelagh: The Irish Fighting Stick should be required reading for any student of Celtic traditions.

The author has done an exceptional job of dissecting a host of primary sources relating to the remarkable history of the Irish fighting stick, and tracing both its roots and its cultural signifcance throughout the course of various periods of Irish history. This often-overlooked aspect of Irish martial culture finally gets the full scholarly treatment it deserves here in Mr. Hurley's astonishingly thorough tour de force. The book has already established itself as the standard text on the subject. "Shillelagh" is an exhaustive, thrilling and detailed account of the fighting stick that was a symbol of Irish courage and resistance, as well as a practical weapon with which the Irish displayed their martial arts ability.



Any serious student of Irish history has to read this book. Five stars.

However, I suspect that whoever said that never saw the cover of this particular book. Because then there probably would have been some qualifier, like "Never judge a book by its cover, unless that book is Shillelagh by John Hurley, because that book is every bit as totally awesome as its cover might lead you to believe."



I mean, consider the attention to detail in this lovingly rendered Donnybrook. Look at the pure glee on the face of the lout in the blue coat or the total agony of the gentleman being trampled underfoot at the bottom of the composition. This artist has captured the entire range of human emotion in a single four color panel. It's like an ABC Sports intro in book cover form.



And look at the flying top hat in the background! Was it just knocked off somebody's head? Perhaps with a shillelagh? Or is this a sly tip of the surrealist cap to Magritte?



If they sold a poster version of this cover, I would hang it above my breakfast nook in a heartbeat. I would look on it and reflect on happier times in the old country and wonder at the artistry of this unknown, Guinness-swilling Caravaggio.



The book itself is pretty good. I learned a lot about fighting sticks.

I love this book. It was written by an active martial artist. And John can write well. This is demonstrated by his other books. But still outweighs the historically informative part. I missing a little the concrete practical part.

Therefore only four stars. - Self Defense - Cane - Cold Steel - Stick Fighting'

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Customer Service - hdtv, plasma

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I've had this TV for approximately 2 weeks now - It's my first Plasma TV - replaced a 10 year old 46" LCD television. After visiting every local store and kicking tires - I was sold that Plasma was the way to go. The clarity of the picture - 160 degree viewing angle with no decline in picture quality and sharp picture during fast moving picture ( i.e. sports ) + the vivid sharpness of blacks / reds / oranges / greens / blues made it pretty easy decision.



I went with the PANASONIC b/c of Consumer reports review of last years models. It was rated as best picture for non HD programming over any of it's competitors. Going shopping for these things locally is similar to buying a used car - b/c most stores won't show you anything but a HD signal - but I was able to get one store to show me a digital signal to a couple models and was able to view a DVD of TOP GUN on this and a few other models. Alot of brands will have a significant dropoff in quality from HD to digital signal - NOT this panasonic.



The picture in HD is simply amazing. Clarity / sharpness / at all angles of viewing both near and far away from the screen. The speakers are very good too - I will play a movie through the Home Theatrre - but day to day viewing the speakers will be more than adequate for most viewers.



The picture in non - HD programming - Comcast digital cable signal. About 85 % of the programming is pretty close to the same quality as High Def. Alot of the cable programming seems to be formatted in anticipation of High Def viewing and look very sharp and clear. Occasionally ( maybe 10 - 15 % of cable programming ) you'll get a feed that's not quite as sharp and ther'es a noticeable decline in picture quality from the HD or normal Digital programming. However - I've checked that same programming on my older CRT television - I found that the ( Non-HD programming with poor signal ) picture on the 50" plasma is the same quality as what I'm getting on my 20" non digital television. The only difference is that most of the programming is so much better in quality on this plasma TV that it seems like the picture isn't good for those few broadcasts. BUT - it's not poor picture from plasma Tube - it's just a bad signal that looks worse in comparison to the other channels and/or programming.



*** Don't let a salesperson talk you out of this TV if you have a large pictue window. I almost decided against the Plasma tube b/c a circuit city salesperson said the reflection would annoy me with a large window in the room. We have a west facing picture window in the rear with a tree outside the window. There is reflection on this tube - but it's no different than the reflection you'd get with a standard CRT tube television. We just pull down the shades a bit - and we haven't noticed anything that would be bothersome when viewing a program. We bought it with the assurance that if the reflection was an issue we could swap it out for a LCD or other television. We're keeping the Panasonic Plasma!!!!



I'm totally happy we bought this TV - and have no regrets for choosing the Panasonic. I'd buy this TV again in a heartbeat. The only thing I don't know about is the longevity of this type of tube - but I'll learn that over time. We spent 400 bucks on an in home 4 year service plan to accompany the TV. The marketing says it will last 27 years if viewed 6 hours per day - but I think that's a little optimistic. I did however learn in my research that this technology has been around for 30 or 40 years so I'm hoping that means there won't be any technical quirks to still work out.



Jake Panasonic TH-50PX60U 50-Inch Plasma HDTV

I really like this TV. It encompasses all that I was looking for. Buying a HD TV these days makes for some tough decisions. I found it impossible to make a clear decision from looking at the vast array of HD TVs available. The super big screens are impressive as are the super fine displays of the plasmas. For my purposes, I put picture quality over size. This lead to the plasmas and then to the Panasonic, which, along with Pioneer, have the best picture available, in my opinion,in plasmas.



My next criteria was the TVs ability to present a quality standard broadcast video, that seems to be about 90% of the material available today. HD is just beginning to become more adequately available today.



While shopping, I did not notice a huge difference in the quality of HD from one TV to another but there is a huge difference in quality at standard broadcast. You won't see this in the stores because they always use HD to impress their customers. This is where this TV shines. The picture quality is amazing even when not a HD broadcast. This is important as it involves the TVs ability to improve the standard broadcast video. There seems to be a vast difference from set to set in this ability and it has a lot to do with the internal circuitry. All sets look great at 1080p, however they sure don't look the same when it involves standard cable or standard satellite broadcast. The standard broadcast material on this set can look almost like HD depending on the quality of the broadcast. The poorer material looks just that, poor, but it is the broadcasters fault, not the TV.



Some things I do not like:



1. A plasma must be carried straight up and down. The first one I purchased had a shattered screen (the whole TV had to be replaced) Not too good for internet purchases as they will not allow returns even if defective or damaged in shipping.

2. The remote is spartan. No "learning" feature and has very limited adaptation to other video equipment.

3. Way too much silver. Thank goodness they have a little black around the screen.

4. No variable audio to an amplifier. You have to use the receiver control to vary the volume or connect everything through the receiver.

5. Some glare problems particularly if you have a window to the back of the viewing area. No problem from front or side lighting.

6. The set control comes set to "vivid" which sets the contrast and brightness way up and can damage the TV. You must first "break in " all plasmas by running the contrast and brightness at "0" for the first 100 hours. This is a pain as this is about a months viewing for us because the picture is pretty dark. Also, you have to be aware of the screen ratios as some broadcast cut off the sides or bottoms/tops which leave a black border. This can cause "burn in" that can damage your screen. I find myself changing aspect ratios pretty often. You can watch all transmissions if you adjust the screen ratios to cover the entire screen and not leave any black bars anywhere.

7. Possible repair costs. I understand that it is a "throw away" set if the plasma screen goes out. Plasmas costs more than other TVs to repair but are less repair prone.

8. A 50" screen just qualifies as a "big screen" in my opinion. 55" or 60" would be better but the cost now is prohibitive. I find it adequate at a viewing distance of 12' to 14'.

9. You can see the pixels if you get up close. (screen door effect) I guess it is the nature of the beast. The pixels are not visible after about 6 feet away.



Some of the things I like:



1. Good standard video quality

2. Awesome HD video quality

3. Can handle 1080P (for future, blue ray and HD DVD players)

4. Runs really cool. I notice no heat at all emanating from it. For some reason it has two cooling fans.

5. Quiet operation. You have to put your ear to the back of it to hear anything.

6. Quality construction. The interior looks like commercial quality.

7. Remote uses hard buttons instead of soft rubber

8. Easy setup and controls

9. Two HDMI connections (more the better as future HD devices will use these)

10. No lamp to replace every couple of years at $250- $300 (DLP, LCD)

11. Long service life (estimated at 60,000 hours or about 20 years)

12. Good repair record according to Consumer Report.

13. Excellent black handling which is so important for the 3D effect.

14. Sound quality is adequate. The surround sound is artificial sounding.



After owning and watching this set for a little over a week, I have no buyer's remorse. It was a good purchase and I am very happy. I highly recommend this TV. The negatives are very small compared to the positives, many being the nature of plasma TVs. Watching a program on HD is a real experience that makes you feel like you are there and this TV will do it. Calculating the costs of any hobby or vacation far exceeds the cost per hour of this quality of a television. It is really cheap entertainment and well worth the investment. - Plasma - Hdtv - Panasonic - 50 Inch'

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Cotton Underwear

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The Boss Orange Axel crew socks are about as good as it gets in casual socks. Fabric is a blend (76% cotton, 23% polymide (nylon), and 1% elastane.) and they have a padded sole for extra comfort. These are the best socks I've come across for moisture management; I think that's the polymide, it seems to be a fairly rare "ingredient" for socks. Fit is great (I'm size 12/13 US and 46 Euro), the cuffs have just enough elastic to keep them up, but not enough that they get tight. The soft padded sole makes a big difference at the end of a long day. Made in Turkey. Highly recommended. Hugo Boss Men's Boss Axel Crew Sock, Navy, 10-13'

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Portable Speaker - wireless speakers, outdoor speakers

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This speaker "a single speaker unit". worked well initialy. I was actually amazed at the sound. But the after storing the unit over the winter the buttons needed to be pushed several times to get them going again. Now the third season the system will not work at all. I am looking at other systems to replace this system. Audio Unlimited SPK-ROCK2 Add-on Rechargeable Wireless Rock Speaker (Each, Granite)

*This speaker does not use 6-C batteries as stated*. It has a built-in 12V AH rechargeable battery that needs to be initially charged for 15 hours. It is too new to determine how long it last between charges, but will charge and play when connected to the supplied indoor only AC adapter. The wireless performance initially seems less than the SPK-VELO speakers which I have and also use with it's supplied transmitter. The SPK-ROCK2 is hefty, well built and much darker in color than the pictures. It tends to provide a muddy sound and is much more finicky on location for optimal reception from the wireless transmitter. It does not include any remote volume control like the VELO, so adjustments require local button pushing and because of the type of tone, can vary depending on music. Have not had much of a chance to fully evaluate it's overall capabilities, but does deliver deep sound that can help fill in the tone of other speakers in an outside environment and Amazon's price is very good.

The sound is good, set up is simple, and it looks enough like a rock to fit in well with the outdoor landscaping. Could use a remote control capability to control the source audio from outside, and change the volume, but I didn't really expect that. It would also be nice if the base unit could be run on batteries, allowing even more flexibility. All things considered, a very nice speaker for the price, and you can enjoy music outdoors without having it blasting away inside, or wires running out of windows, etc.

I received this system free with the purchase of an INTEX above ground pool from Meyers. The set-up and sound was more than I expected. It was not more than a few uses before I had trouble getting the power button to work properly. I would have to push it over and over again which was very frustrating, stored it for the winter and on its first use it automatically shut off with no success or it working since. Hope you do not have the same problems.

We are loving the rock speakers - we use them by the pool and they run all day long off the rechargable batteries. Also we use them around the house so we have music in every room now. When you are very distant from the base, there can be a little popping noise but it rarely happens. We put our transmitter inside a cabinette and there are lots of walls in the way so I was amazed it works so well. I highly recommend them!

Already had.purchased the base bit and liked it. This speaker worked immediately with the sending unit for the first. The two speakers work well throughout the backyard for good background sound for parties. Highly recommend these speakers.

I ordered two speakers. At first, one made a thumping noise every 15 seconds, the other speaker worked fine. The next time I used them, both speakers sounded perfectly clear and loud. Wish I had remote to operate volume levels because I am always adjusting sound to match volume levels of specific songs, some heavy and some soft. Other than that, I enjoyed them and will buy them again. The dollar value was right and transaction and delivery went smoothly as expected.

After reading the reviews, I was anxious to get these wireless speakers & try them out. The set up is easy and the sound is great. Initially, we purchased one (which sounded very good), but added a second and are very pleased . Our friends can't believe they are wireless. These speakers sound better than the more expensive "wired" ones our friend has. - Portable Speaker - Wireless Speakers - Outdoor Speakers - Outdoor Wireless Speakers'

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Electronics And Gadgets

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I'm using the unit in a REPEATER mode. My house have 3 floors and my router (WRT54G) is located in the basement. I get a signal of 11 Mbps on the sec flr using a centrino powered notebook. The signal would drop to 1 Mbps after some use and the only way to get the signals back is to to reboot the notebook for some reason or go to the first flr. Hence, decided to get this unit and use it as a repeater.



Steps that worked for me are as follows:



01. Disable any security you have on the router (I'm using WEP) and enable SSID broadcast prior to any configuration .

02. Configure the unit using the setup disk and provided the ff:.

---- Provided a different SSID (or you can provide the same SSID) with enabled broadcast.

---- No encription

---- The same transmission channel (Chan 11) as with my router

---- New password

03. Exited program setup. Run browser and connect to the AP interface using the default address [...]

04. Configured the AP in REPEATER MODE placing my router's wireless MAC address as the repeated source signal.

05. Saved the setup.

06. Test if working by removing the wire behind the AP. On your PC/Notebook, open up a command window (START,RUN, type in "cmd" and click [OK]). Type in "ping 192.168.1.245" and press [ENTER]. You should see something like "Reply from 192.168.1.245 bytes=32 time=3ms TTL=225". If you get a "Request timed out." then that means your AP cannot be seen in your network and was not configured successfully go through STEP#1 again.

07. If successful, you need to enable security back (NOTE: At this point, the AP is running stand alone with no wires connected at the back from the router). Since I'm using WEP, connect to the AP using a browser at [...]

Go to wireless security and enable WEP and add the key codes and save your setup.

08. Now enable security back on the router with same key as you have on the AP and save your setup.

09. Test connection again by running STEP#6.

10. Place the AP where you want it to.

11. With a wireless PC/Notebook, scan for wireless networks. You should see the new SSID as well as the old one. Connect to it so that your PC/Notebook would save that information.

12. Connect to your AP, disable SSID broadcast, save setup.

13. Connect to your roter, disable SSID broadcast, save setup.

14. You're done!





I placed the WAP54G on the third floor. After all is said and done, my signal was boosted to 45 Mbps (max at 54 Mbps). Works like a charm!!!



NOTE:

- These procedures is specifically if you want to configure your AP as a REPEATER.

- If you configure the AP with WEP security on the get go, you will never be able to get it to work!! I spent hours on this to no avail.

- You can use the same SSID. I used a different one because I want to see what wireless unit I am connecting to when i transfer from floor to floor.



UPDATE 031810

The unit I believe is starting to die on me. My internet access will get cut off all of a sudden and it has been happening frequently (like 4-5 times a week). I have to unplug then plug it back to make it function again. I might upgrade my system to the WRT610N and WAP610N soon.



UPDATE 033110

I decided to get a new WAP54G instead since reading through the WAP610N manual, there is no provision for a REPEATER mode. I placed the old one on the first floor. So now, I have the WRT54G on the basement, my old WAP54G on the first floor and my new WAP54G (with a NETGEAR 5 port switch connected to it) on the 3rd floor. I noticed that with the new one, my web browsing is a lot faster compared to the old one!



UPDATE 041110

So I had the NEW WAP54G for a couple of days since my last update and I still had the same problem of getting disconnected intermittently. I tried shutting down the OLD unit totally but the issue persists with the new unit so it looks like the AP is not the problem. Now, my IPOD TOUCH 32GB 3Gen needed repair and has been out of commission since last Friday 04/09 (bought this last January). And guess what? I have had no problems with my WIFI connection since then (both APs running). I have to see if the replacement Ipod screws up my wifi connection again but I do think I found out the culprit for my WIFI issues.



UPDATE 042510

I got my new replacement Ipod Touch a week ago. My WIFI failure started again but not as frequent. Now, I always turn off the Ipod's Wifi when I'm not using it. I guess I'm stuck with it.



UPDATE 072610

When I got the IOS 4 software update for the Ipod Touch, my WIFI issues disappeared. :) Cisco-Linksys WAP54G Wireless-G Access Point

I have a SOHO that uses a wired 10/100 switched network. Already part of this network is a Linksys single port Cable / DSL Router. When it came time to make the jump to wireless, the WAP54G seemed the logical choice, as I would not have to reconfigure anything on my existing network. For the record, I selected the WUSB54G and WPC54G adapters for two different purposes. Look for reviews on those items posted separately.



I had no trouble installing my original piece of Linksys gear. Now, since Cisco acquired Linksys, this effortless installation is even easier. The software installed seamlessly and I was able to modify the default settings, to match my network and increase security, occurred without any problem. A nice touch is the included patch cord to perform the initial setup. If you have a single port Cable / DSL Router already on your wired network, simply plug the other end of the patch cable into any open port on your switch or hub and the WAP54G will establish communication.



One small item left out of the manual was how to access the Web based administration interface. For first time installers, this may be critical. You need to open you web browser by entering the IP address for the Access Point. Once there, you can access the proper screens to assign a static IP address, strongly advised, and set any key options.



If you are not familiar with WEP Keys, these are electronic codes that keep your network private. While not as fool proof as wired security, they do go a long way to keeping strangers from using your network. If you create a key, keep a hard copy somewhere secure but handy. Like any password, treat them as a guarded secret. If you enable WEP Keys on the access point, any network adapters must be supplied with the key before a connection can be established.



Once the Access Point is configured, place it a good location and your done. Now you only need to add a wireless network adapter to any PC and your good to go. One nice feature is this model is also compatible with the 802.11b spec and will handle the slower traffic of this spec. With the 802.11g adapters, the network will send traffic at the full 54 Mb/sec for that spec.



Bottom line: nice price, nice performance and painless installation.'

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