Friday 20 November 2009

Compact Pen - space pen, pen


This is a great pocket pen that is surprisingly easy to dent. Oddly, even with (mostly) solid brass construction coated with the notoriously ultra-durable Titanium Nitride coating, after dropping it (admittedly on concrete) it is dented. It rides in my pocket with my keys all day and has no scratches though so the finish is very tough.



I imagined this pen, especially in it's "bullet' form, to be nearly indestructible. It does have a very tough finish, but unfortunately, it will dent, and then that durable finish is deformed. Not scratched, but deformed.



I admit to nit-picking, but it is the only flaw I've found after months of ownership. Don't drop it on concrete and it will remain immaculate.



Oh, and it writes good too. Fisher Space Pen, Bullet Space Pen, Black Titanium Nitride (400BTN)

I had been using a similar model, silver finish with a clip, for several years and was quite happy with it. Then I misplaced it and needed a replacement.



The finish on this one is better for me, not quite as bright and shiny, and the lack of a clip makes it fit better into my pocket without a chance of scratching my phone.



...and of course it has the same consistent, smooth ink flow as all the space pens do, regardless of writing position. In short: recommended.

A critical item to remember is to place the cap onto the end of the pen to ad extra length, these are enjoyable to write with. I haven't done the replacing of the ink inside of the pen yet so I don't know about the process of replacing the ink at this time. During the act of carrying this pen it's easy to forget the pen does exist with the item preventing scratches being a nice finish on the surface.

This was my second Space Pen. They are the greatest. There are no parts to break, it writes on anything, anywhere and whether closed or open it is just the smoothest-looking pen around. AND it fits in a pants pocket!!

It's called a Space Pen and it's just as awesome as the name suggests. I love the coating because it looks good and doesn't make your hands smell like metal, it fits easily in my pocket and it writes so much more consistently even than the other pens I've used in the last 20 years. The only thing I would change is the color of the ink I've got, but that's such a small thing it's almost not worth mentioning. - Pen - Space Pen - Bullet Pen - Fisher Pen'


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Ipod Touch 4g Screen Protector


I brought this to replace the other mirror screen protector that I brought from another company. I love this protector, makes my Ipod Touch looks so good. Rich looking. The application was painless, went on easy and no bubbles. I only have one tiny air bubble. And that is all. I am glad that I found this product. I highly recommend it. 6-Pack Mirror Screen Protector for Apple iPod Touch 4th Gen

I AM EXXXTRREEMEELLYYY satisfied with my purchase!.... at first i doubted in buying these. but the screen protector really is a mirror!

i recoomend this 100% THEY NOT ONLY IS A MIRROR BUT PROTECTS REALLY WELLL WHICH IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING IN THE FIRST PLACE ANYWAYS!

the brightness only has to be put up halfway which might be a downside if there is any. VERY EASY TO APPLY.

BEST PURCHASE I'VE EVER MADE! SHIPPED REALLY FAST AS WELL.

Put 3 of these on ipod touch's for my kids. All went on first try and they do the job well. Kids like them and you can see through them fine. A little darker, but very accpetable and we've had them on close to a month now.

I love this are nice screen protector very nice quality, I was actually surprised at how nice it looks. I love the mirror effects it comes in handy when you need a quick compact. Or just a Minnie mirror in general.'


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Nuvi Dashboard Mount - friction mount, gps mount


After doing hours of research for a dash mount for my Garmin Nuvi 205w, I decided to give this one a try, and so glad that I did. I looked at the bean bag one and this one, and really wanted a smaller footprint and less bulky mount to put up on my dash. I was concerned about this mount and it rolling, flipping, or tumbling off the dash. To my surprise and delight it never moved !! I have tried it in both of our cars, even used it in the van for our vacation. Fits all three and sits there holding it's position. Some have made notes about a residue that is left behind, I experienced this in 2 of our vehicles, but when I cleaned the car and wiped the dash down, the `residue' was gone. Most likely from the silicone bottom on the mount that holds it in place. Love the flexibility and the fact that you can bent this mount to contour to your dash, and then the swivel mount allows you to adjust the Garmin to see it at any angle. Mounted in my car I took a few corners hard to try and tumble the mount w/ the Garmin, but no luck, it just sat there telling me where to go "literally". Granted I am sure you can tumble it of the dash if you hit a hard core bump or drive erratically, but everyday driving & circumstances it does it's job. If the bottom silicone gets icky from lint, dirt, debris, all you have to do is wipe it down with a cloth and good as new !!



Love the look, the small foot print, and the flexibility. I would recommend this mount to anyone that is looking for a more stylish, but completely functional dash mount, that can go with you most anywhere and in any vehicle.



Loving my Garmin Mount & Garmin Nuvi 205W... Garmin Portable Friction Dashboard Mount

I already have the "bean bag" mount and was glad to see this new, updated design, so I ordered. It does look more "factory". Was unpleasantly surprised when it arrived. The main upper portion is a pliable plastic that molds to the contours of your dash. The bottom, though, is a strange feeling silicone, that leaves your fingers feeling like you just handled a silicone spray or lubricant. Right on the packaging, but hidden from view until you remove the mount, is a message about cleaning residue left behind on your dash. Indeed, it even left an imprint mark on my kitchen counter while I was reading the packaging! Who wants to clean up a silicone stain every time you use it. I've already sent it back and will stick with the bean bag.

Got it to replace the Garmin bean bag friction mount. The base of this unit allows twisting to conform to the curves and contour of the dash.



This base will not move on the dash as it has a "sticky" base, however, the base and the mounted GPS toppled and rolled off my dash and landed on the front passenger seat when I cornered at moderate speed.



So while it won't slide, it can fly!

I was skeptical about buying this product at first. When I got it I was even more doubtful that it would work well since it was so light weight and small. How could this stay in place? Boy was I wrong. The rubber has a piece of metal in it so you can mold it to the dash board. The backing is just like one of those rubber lint rollers with a tacky side. I took really hard turns on exit ramps and it did not fall over. It holds in place solid. I did get a residual wet mark on the dash board kind of like when you use armour all and do not blend it in well. It does just wipe off with the palm of your hand though. I would recommend placing it in a zip lock bag or something when you take it down so it does not collect junk from under the seat. Clean up is easy with just soapy water and let air dry when too much dust accumulates. This is better than the bean bag.



I would also like to add that the reviewers saying this product falls off their dash is most likely because they do not clean their dashboard. Just like a lint brush, you must remove the lint for it to work!

I almost returned this item as I thought it was too unstable with my Nuvi 255WT. While driving on normal roads, I noticed the GPS was shaking to the point that navigating with it became downright annoying. I found the problem to be the rear of the flexible/sticky base where the mounting arm is attached. While the front of the base stayed firmly in place, the rear could twist up slightly from side to side resulting in the GPS shake I was experiencing. I believe this is because the rear of the base is more narrow than the front and therefore not as stable. For comparison, I switched back to my old Garmin sandbag mount and there was absolutely no shaking with that one. But, I really liked the looks, lower profile and better non-slip design of the friction mount and decided to work with it a bit more. Fortunately, I found that I could eliminate the shaking by pressing one/both bottom corners of the GPS unit into contact with the rubber base. This worked perfectly and with the shaking gone, and that sticky base stuck to the dash, my GPS has never felt more secure (better than the sandbag). I would definitely recommend this mount to others and if you experience the shaking problem, just try the tip I mentioned above.

Until I purchased this mount I only used the Garmin on road trips, now I used it almost all the time. It is almost like having a built in GPS. It sits on top of the dashboard, you just place where you want it and it stays, no suction cup needed. When you leave the car just place it on the floor out of sight with the GPS in place. I can program it while holding it close instead of reaching over the dashboard to the GPS mounted on the windshield. If you have a portable Garmin GPS this is the way to go.

This is a road warrior's dream. Garmin thought through the movable dash mount very carefully with this product.



I've travelled (airplanes to rental cars) for a few years with the Garmin bean bag mount Garmin Portable Friction Mount [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]. It's kind of a pain in the neck, you have to remove the arm completely, find a place to store that, and then find a place where that bean bag won't get all bent up. When you arrive, assemble all that junk and toss it on the dash.



This mount is simplicity and designed around tossing it in a carryon bag. The rubber / silicone base is about the diameter of a CD with an extesion about 1/2 that size. So it's compact. The arm for mounting the GPS folds almost completely flat. So the whole thing transports very easily.



Mounted on the dash, simply bend the pliable rubber base to conform to the dash, flip the arm up, snap in your GPS, and you're good to go. This thing holds the dash as well as the beanbags. No the GPS doesn't fly all over any more than it does with the beanbag.



And the base is some kind of strange material like a post it note. It does feel weird and smells odd the first few days. Any residue - no not happening. It sits on a Mercedes dash with no fear that it will ruin my dash.



This is a much more portable and solid version of a removable dash mount, than the beanbags. The pictures don't do it justice. - Garmin Nuvi - Nuvi Dashboard Mount - Gps Mount - Friction Mount'


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Upconverting Dvd Player - dvd player, sony dvd player


We had a 3-yr old Sony DVD player but were not happpy with image quality on 42" LCD TV. Bought this newer sony and it is excellent. Much smaller, lighter, and a lot quicker to load/eject a disc. Image quality finally looks as good as all the display models in the stores. Compatible with all older Sony remotes, including a 15-year old one. Simply the best. Sony DVP-SR500H 1080p Upscaling DVD Player

As stated in the other review, the remote to this DVD player does not have an open/eject button. I know it isn't such a big deal, but sometimes at night I have to pop open the dvd player to add another DVD and have to turn on the light. I assumed since it was the 21st century that a simple eject button would be available! Other then that, the quality of the dvd player is TREMENDOUS! My brother and I currently own one and I purchased one for my girlfriend as well. If you're VERY picky about remotes than I'd say this is a deal breaker, but if you really don't care, with an HDMI cord you could say the second best thing next to blu-ray!

I bought this because it was the exact size I needed, and I because I was thinking of Sony as a good brand. Thinking back, though, I cannot remember the last time I bought a Sony product that I wasn't disappointed with.



The worst problem is that it simply does not play a large number of my valid disks, which play fine in my four other DVD players. It displays "loading" and will just stay there forever. On top of that, you cannot just hit the "eject" button. Once it's stuck like this, you have to unplug it and plug it back in again to get the disk out.



Techies will also hate the fact that the stop-stop-play technique does not work with this box. So you're doomed to sitting through the entire string of FBI warnings, anti-piracy "public service" commercials, previews, etc.



There are so many better players out there that there's just no reason to go with this box.

this is a basic no thrills dvd player that does one things great: plays dvds



picture quality is excellent (heads and shoulders above PIONEER DV-220V-K which was returned).

Analog sound quality also very good.

small form factor.



it has none of the usual gimmicks i never use (like usb capability etc).

discs have to be very clean and in excellent condition otherwise it would skip/stuck (other players would just move on). loading time could be faster..



I thought of getting another unit with an optical audio out (there aren't that many anymore) but the picture quality is so good i decided to stay with this one.

I did not want to replace my extensive DVD library with new Blu-Ray movies for two reasons, #1 cost #2 I feel that Blu-Ray will soon be replaced. So, I wanted an upscaling DVD player. I previously had a Sony product that was virtually indestructable. By the way, it had an eject button on the remote that was NEVER used. My DVD player sits behind a closed glass door and I always had to open that door before ejecting. I went with a Sony product again because of reliability and low cost, and SONY did it again. I've had this one for about 6 months now and have no complaints whatsoever. It's just as reliable as the last one. I don't use the remote for this one either, I have a remote for my Pioneer Receiver that controls everything. I'm not what one would consider a huge afficianado as far as home theater is concerned, I like to put a disc (movie) in and watch it, period. This DVD player allows me to do just that. I would recommend this unit to anyone who, like me, is more interested in watching a movie than they are always making adjustments or ejecting.

This is a fine product and the picture shown through a HDMI cable is astonishing. My only complaint is the remote control does not have a button for opening and closing the drawer. A small thing, I know, but surprisingly annoying.

Good product and the price was right and its arrival was swift. My new Samsung TV has fewer component RCA inputs so I retired my progressive scan DVD player for this SONY and its HDMI connection and its up-scaling ability. I have no interest for Blue ray players. My Samsungs (former and current) up-scaled the old player to 720 and the new SONY up-scales to 1080. It also has a convenient TV volume control. This player meets my needs.



My general annoyance is that neither of my Samsungs nor this SONY player offer optional volume control for my theater amp.

FOR THOSE OF US NOT READY TO TAKE THE BLU-RAY LEAP YOU CAN'T BEAT THIS UNIT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. I DID 8 MONTHS OF RESEARCH TRYING TO FIND A UNIT THAT DID NOT DISABLE THE ANALOG SOUND OUTPUT WHEN THE HDMI WAS CONNECTED. THIS UNIT FITS THE BILLING AND DOES WHAT THEY SAY IT WILL DO. I NOW HAVE HDMI PICTURE AND WAS ABLE TO CONNECT TO MY PRE HDMI CAPABLE HTR FOR FANTASTIC 5.1 SOUND WITH IT. THE PICTURE QUALITY IS FANTASTIC AND THE SOUND AS WELL. IT'S TRUE IT'S LIKE VIEWING A NEW MOVIE WITH HDMI CAPABILITY AND IT SAVES ME FROM HAVING TO MAKE MY HTR OBSOLETE IN THE CLOSET WITH ALL THE OTHER OBSOLETE COMPONENTS. THE AMAZON PRICE AND DELIVERY WAS FANTASTIC AS WELL. I JUST HOPE I DON'T WEAR IT OUT RE-WATCHING ALL MY OLD DVDS. AND BY THE WAY THE AMAZON BASICS HDMI CABLE GOT THE JOB DONE FOR A PRICE THAT IS ONLY 10 TO 20% OF WHAT THEY WANT ELSEWHERE. BUY IT YOU WILL BE VERY HAPPY WITH THE SONY DVP-SR500H AND THE AMAZON BASICS HDMI CABLE.

I had a DVD player that "died" on me that I used in my Country Kitchen area. It was mated to a 26" Samsung Flatscreen TV which has an outstanding picture and HD features. The DVD player I had hooked up to it though would only broadcast in 720p so when I decided to replace it I happened to be at Best Buy and saw this model for under $50. An upscaling player that would output a 1080p resolution so this peaked my interest. After a few moments of deliberation I opted to get this player instead of a more expensive Blu-Ray player for my country kitchen area. I'm glad I made the decision! The first movie I tried on it when I got home was "Avatar" and remember the scene when the seeds from the tree of life hovered around Jake?? The colors were so vibrant and beautiful I thought I was watching a Blu-Ray disc! Needless to say I was quite impressed! As with some of the other reviews I've read on this site I was a bit disappointed that the remote did not have an eject button. I'm surprised Sony overlooked this very important feature but other than that I love the price and the player itself! It's very sleek & compact and set up very easily! The start up is fast and the picture quality of course is what makes it worth every penny!! I wonder if a universal remote would control the eject on this player. I should try it...



So based on the picture quality & price I have rated this player 5 stars! Compact, attractive, fast & a great picture! Go get it! - Dvd Player - Hdmi - Sony Dvd Player - 1080p Dvd Player'


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Pretend Play - melissa and doug, pretend play


This toy gets 4 stars because after 1 day my daughter broke out the wooden divider, and the extensive pieces.My daughter loves this toy! It is one of her favorite play foods, and I am about sick of pizza! There are quite a few pieces to the set and I would not recommend this for a household where elements of toys are easily destroyed or lost. The velcro attaches easily.This is a great toy to begin teaching counting and fractions. We also own the Cutting Food Box by Lights, Camera, Interaction. We were initially introduced to these great toy products by my aunt who teaches violin. She uses these toys to explain musical notation and fractions. The utilization of this toy for introductory math has been invaluable for teaching our daughter. Sometimes we don't realize how much she understands these concepts. The parts hold up extremely well to the 2 1/2 year old age group, but I must reiterate - these are not for a family that doesn't not keep up with parts to games or toys. It is also a toy that is best used with hands-on adult expaination. The most educational experience can be derived that way (I guess, as with all things in life.)What is especially fun is when she mixes the 2 toys together and I get a slice of pizza with a carrot or watermelon slice on it. Melissa & Doug Pizza Party

This is a great toy, it is lots of fun, but I must admit, if it weren't for the fact I found it at TJ MAXX for about 75% less than most stores, I would never have bought it. My son loves "cutting" the pizza and serving it to us. He even uses the green pizza tray like a try at a restaurant and takes our orders. He has learned about pepper, pepperoni and mushrooms, but I don't think that is a skill we really need to work on. Beware the paint chips off very easley, as with most Melissa and Doug toys. I went to Papa Johns and told them about my son's pizza toy and they happily gave me a real pizza box for him to play with.

THIS TOY SURPASSED MY EXPECTATIONS. NOT ONLY IS IS VERY CUTE BUT THE IMAGINATION THAT MUST HAVE GONE INTO CREATING THIS TOY. MY 3 YEAR OLD LOVES IT. IT COMES WITH A PIZZA CUTTER AND SEVER. PLUS IT COMES ON A STURDY DURABLE PIZZA PLATE. THERE ARE 6 SLICES OF PIZZA THAT YOU CAN ATTACH 3 TOPPINGS ON EACH PIECE HELD TOGETHER BY VELCRO. THERE ARE 54 TOPPINGS CONSISTING OF PEPPERONI, MUSHROOM, & PEPPERS. I THINK I LOVE IT MORE THAN MY CHILD. BUT THEN AGAIN I LOVE ALL OF "LIGHTS, CAMERA ,& INTERACTION TOYS. I BUY THEM ALL THE TIME.

My daughter played with this toy at her cousins house and just loved it! I had seen a lot of the Melissa & Doug toys online but never in person. My sister in-law told me she got it at TJ Maxx so I went there to get one for my daughter. It was $12 or $14 and of course there was no shipping charge. Very durable high quality toy.

Anyone who owns any Melissa and Doug toys knows that they are educational, fun and DURABLE! This pizza set is no exception. Kids love to "cook", and this is a great way for them to do it. It can be a super-helpful toy if Mom or Dad needs a minute to cook dinner and wants to occupy the children and keep them out from underfoot while they do it.... set them up at the table and let them make a pizza! Heck, even let them put it on the table and "serve" it with dinner!



These toys are so worth the cost... which is relatively cheap, if you think about the fact that these will never break and they'll be played with for much longer than other skimpy plastic toys. Treat your kids to this great playset made with quality long-lasting materials. Wonderful!

My son as several of these at his day care and they are consistently popular with both boys and girls. The kids like to share the pieces of pizza with the teachers and other kids, so its great for cooperative play.

This product is a high quality product. This toy stimulates gross motor skills and the love for kitchen stuff. My daughter will play with it for hours and she loves the real cutting action and then velcroing them back together. This product is used by alot of Occupational Therapist with small children. The downfall is picking up all the pieces but it is worth it since both my 5 year old and 3 year old play with for hours on end. They serve us more Pizza than any other kitchen toys they have.

I seek out this company because everything we have ever received from them is top notch. Really well constructed, fun, and encouraging creative play. My only quarrel with this project is that it is not well-contained: envision pizza parts all over your living room. I'd suggest putting away the extra pieces and waiting until the few you've kept out become lost before bringing out more. Otherwise, though, a great toy.

This is a fantastic toy that my son has enjoyed for a couple of years now. With this and the Melissa and Doug Birthday cake, we have pretend birthday parties for his stuffed puppy at least once a week. - Pizza - Melissa And Doug - Pretend Play - Melissa  doug'


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Shoulder Strap Bag - shoulder strap bag


This bag worked great as a bribery gift, lol. I gave it to my wife after I forgot her birthday, and she loved it. Haven't had a problem with it yet, and she's not exactly kind to her purses. Def worth the money, and shipping was quick. Everyday Free Style Beige Tan Soft Embossed Ostrich Double Handle Oversized Hobo Satchel Purse Handbag Tote Bag

I'm extremely picky about my bags and have a huge collection. I looked at this one online for a few days before deciding to jump in and purchase it. I just received this bag today and I love it! I was never tan bags until I saw this. It is a bit smaller than I thought it would be but it still seems roomy. I highly recommend this bag!

I got this for my mom and she absolutely loves it. She gets compliments everywhere she goes and all her friends keep asking where they can get one.

She says its

good quality

pretty

very well made

shipped fast

I love this handbag. Yes it did have an odor when it arrived but I put a sheet of Bounce in it and left it open for a couple of days and the smell was gone. This handbag is pretty, is of great quality, and the price was awesome. I would recommend this handbag to any friend of mine.

I bought this bag before I read the reviews. I should have read them first. Some people had mentioned a bad odor from the interior of the bag and I was really apprehensive about getting this item. It arrived and my bad vibes became reality. I don't know how and I don't know why but the inside of this bag smells like rotting tuna. A truly awful fishy odor. I decided not to even try to remove the scent because that would void my ability to return it. I just processed a return.



Please, heed this warning and that of others who have bought it. It may be the fabric, the process they use to treat the fabric, or it might be something else. All I know is this bag smells BAD.

This bag did not look nice in person. It had a terrible smell, but maybe it's something that would air out and go away. I am sending it back because it was not as nice looking as I expected. Handles and lining looked pretty cheap (I do realize it's an inexpensive bag, but I hoped for better). It also had no depth, which I didn't realize from the measurements.

I am not too crazy about the style, but my wife loves it. So I went ahead and purchased it. Turns out the actual bag looks a lot better than picture. It is stylish. I have no idea what is the name of the material, but it looks and feels good.

The new bag smell is strong initially. But it fade away after few days use. So, overall, this is a good purchase. I will recommend it to anyone. I just don't understand why ladies need that many bags and shoes....

The picture looks a lot nicer than the actual purse.Not only did the strap not match the rest of the purse,but the hardware also had rust spots.I am not sure where they store the product but it had a really bad smell too.

I love love love this bag, it's elegant and classy. This bag make me look like professional working woman, the prefect size to fit my daily stuff. The quality is great, and good value for the price. I will buy one more to my sister - Shoulder Strap Bag'


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Fishing Equipment


This is the first fishing reel I paid $100+ and it is worth every cent. I used to buy the typical $20+ fishing reels at Walmart saying to myself why the heck would anyone pay several times this price for a reel? After using these cheap reels for a few years, they started falling apart, not to mention the line getting tangled frequently. The drag on the cheaper reels also gave me a headache as you turn, turn, and turn the drag to adjust it and its on too heavy or light with little room in between. I finally made the plunge and bought two of the 2500 series mainly for trout and smaller fish. The moment I opened the box and started turning the handle on the Stradic, I was amazed. I asked myself how can a reel be so smooth? The price on Amazon for the 2500 series is $128 with free ship and no tax. They go for 159.99 plus tax at the local sporting goods stores. The reel also comes with an extra identical aluminum spool. It also has a repairable drag clicker should it ever wear out.



When you compare the stats for this reel with even the lower end Shimanos like the Saros, the Stradic is a winner. It is lighter, retrieves more inches of line per turn, and probably has the best drag in its class and size. It offers 15 lbs of drag in a reel under 10oz and 34 inches of line per turn thanks to its high gear ratio.



When I used to open my cheap reels to oil them and I remember seeing the ball bearings. If you can see ball bearings, sand and dirt can also go inside it easily. When I removed the handle of Stradic, I could not see the ball bearings because they are sealed. The drag is also sealed and water tight. The maintainace port on the reel is another great feature. You unscrew it and place a few drops of oil and screw it back on. This reel was made for fresh and salt water. Despite the small size of this reel, it was also made to handle braid line. I heard of other people fishing with this reel size with 20 lbs braid on this reel and catching 20+lbs fish with no problems thanks to its great drag.



I know from my bicycling experience that Shimano is well known for its quality gears in the bicycling world and I now know that they are just as good in their fishing reels.



Just ordered the 5000 size (has 25 lbs of drag!) from Amazon for higher line capacity for ocean surf fishing. Stradic 4000 FI Spinning Reel

Just put my second Stradic 2500 FI to use with fluro. Just as the first, it works fine. I was thinking of spending the extra $$ for the new, highly rated lightweight reel that they brought out. But, given the unavilability of it at much if any discount, the lack of a free extra spool included, and the fact that on rods that the Stradic FI balances well, the lighter reel wouldn't. It weighs as much or less than the small 1000s for light-ultra-light rods.



Considering the price of Stradic FI being sold by Amazon itself, $130, no tax, no shipping, it can't be beaten. Are there better, quieter, smoother??? Sure, but look at the prices......unless you're a tournament pro and make 3000 casts on average per day fishing fast, this is the best deal, best build quality, etc.

I primarily surf cast with metal spoons and jigs for spanish mackeral, bluefish and red fish. My line of choice is braid. The Stradic series from Shimano is the ONLY reel I have found that consistently handles braid perfectly. I use a 9 foot steelhead rod and a Stradic 5000 FI loaded with 15 pound Power Pro. I have tried almost every brand of high end spinning reels on the market. The Shimano Stradic FI series is the finest reel I have ever casts.

I've always been a baitcast man. I had tried a spinning reel years ago and didn't care for it, but decided to give it another chance. I picked this reel based on reviews and because I wanted decent quality. That was several months ago. I strung it up with some 20# braided line and tried it out catfishing off our dock at Lake Livingston. The first fish I caught on it was a 20+ lb blue cat so the reel got a pretty good workout.



It didn't take long to get the hang of casting it and man, does it work great with braided line. I love the strength and durability of braided but it can be tough to use on a baitcast reel. Once you get that stuff backlashed you might as well break out the knife. The Stradic 4000FI handles it great. Maybe any spinning reel would do the same but this one has the guts to reel in bigger fish without even flinching.



This isn't the only "big fish" reel I have. I have ABU 6500 and 7000 reels that have a lot of muscle. But they do not have the finesse of the Stradic.



I liked it well enough that I put another one on my Christmas wish list and my BW put one under the tree for me. I'll probably always favor my old baitcast reels for panfish,etc., but when I go after the big ones it will be with the Stradic.

I bought a few of these after my fishing buddy has been using his Stradic reels for nearly 20 years now. After going through his reels they are like new again. I want a reel that will last and great features to keep my braided line from twisting on reel. I could not be happier with product and the only brand I will buy for spinng or bait casting reels.

In his review, Dagre says he has trouble with the bail on his 4000. If he will make sure the roller on the bail is at the closest point to the rod he won"t have this problem. Shimano has a narrow area where the bail may be flipped without resistance. If the line roller is at any other point but at the top, the bail will not flip. If you force it you can damage the reel. Hope this helps! I have owned 2 4000's and I think you can't buy a better reel for the money.

This is a great reel! I used it the other day with a new rod I made. It retrieved the fish smoothly and the drag was perfect. The first time I have bought a reel of this quality and it won't be the last. Disappointed the box had a tear and a part for spooling line was missing. However, the reel quality is fantastic.'


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Exercise - fitness, step


I ordered this package. First I want to say that the shipping was FAST! I got it the day after it shipped! I think it's a great value for everything you get! My one word of advice would be to order a beginner's step video to go with it if you're new to step aerobics. The DVD that comes with the package is good, but it's an intermediate level video and it's TOUGH! Other than that, this is a great product. The Step F1090 Step Body Fusion

I do step at a gym and their step is a little longer than the one you get with this. But this is a really great deal for all that you get. I was wondering if anyone knew where you can buy more risers? That would be my only complaint is that they don't have any instruction sheet or any other info in with it.

such a good deal. the stepper alone is a steal considering every other place a stepper alone is around fifty dollars. this kit comes with everything you need for an awesome workout. i have had it only about a week and i already can see a difference. i recommend it to anyone that wants a good deal and a fun way to lose weight!

I think that this is a great little kit for the cost. I just got it in today and loved everything in the package. I think it's just about everything a person with limited space and a limited budget (like me) might need to start a fitness routine. I agree that it should have come with a sheet of instructions on blowing up the ball like others have said, but it only took a few minutes to figure out. All you have to do is pull out the white plug in the ball and follow the pump instructions (the plastic wrapper around the pump) to blow it up. It's a minor workout just blowing up the ball, a great way to start shedding those pounds!

The step is a little flimsy, but it gets the job done. The fitness ball is made of sturdy material, but there were no instructions for inflation, we had to ask someone who already had one how to get it inflated. Other than that, no real complaints.

I wanted to get a little more in shape and decided to order this set because it is just such an amazing deal. I was concerned that it was maybe too good a deal, and that the step would be flimsy or something, but its not. The step is not the absolute highest quality I have ever seen, but it worked well enough for my purposes of just doing the video every few days. When I was using it I weighed just over 210lbs and the step or the ball had no problems with my weight. I found that the step video was very hard to keep up with. I took a step aerobics class a few years ago and loved it, but I am still a beginner. This video may be for beginners, I'm not sure, but it is not a learning video by any means. Once it starts, she is going, no pausing and very little teaching. I guess this is good for someone who can keep up, but I was lost most of the time. I enjoyed the other parts of the video using the other equipment, those parts are definitely fine for beginners. Overall this is a good quality set of exercise equipment, but the video is lacking. I was bored of the video within a couple weeks and stopped using it, started running instead.

I recently finished up a 12 week workout with a personal trainer. I wanted something to use so I could continue a good workout at home. This works perfectly. There is a video that comes with it and targets each muscle group. With the video, I do upper body, lower body, and abs during the week. It's great and I can definitely feel the burn!!

I received exactly what I ordered and sooner than was predicted. A great basic step, weight, ball and tube set. I use this at home, and keep another set at the office for my workouts there. Actually, this set was cheaper than buying comparable products separately. Highly recommend!

The exercise ball is a good deal, the step it pretty sturdy and the weights are what you would expect.



My largest complaint would be the air pump for the ball. It did split open along the seam when I was pumping the ball up for the first time.



As far as the video goes, it moves pretty quickly so anyone who is just learning the moves for the step will feel overwhelmed the first few times they try it. I would suggest hunting down beginner videos on the internet and hold off on the DVD until you feel like you are fairly comfortable (and coordinated) using the step. - Fitness - Step'


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Star Wars Saga Edition


This is definitely not as good as some of their recent titles. They do have a pretty good new system for determining prices of droids, so you can create one of any class, any level etc, and they have a good way of pricing it. Other than that, its just not a very interesting book. I'd skip this and go with one of their others. Scavenger's Guide to Droids: A Star Wars Roleplaying Game Supplement

Just wanted to be the first one to say that here :-).



On a serious note, this is a great lil addition to the Star Wars Saga Edition line. I found the droid creation and customization rules a great help in my homebrew Star Frontiers Saga Edition, and Gamma World Saga Edition games.



If your at all interested in Droids as Characters, or want to add more customization and flexibility to your existing droids in your campaign, then this book is well worth the purchase price.

For a long time I have been waiting for this, a product that finally lets you create and modify your droid character better...or outfit your droid if you are a droid owner. It also lets you GM's let your players handle their own droid NPC in a way that is less effective than having then handle the droid as if it were a second PC by requiring the PC spend actions to command the droid... All in all, a very useful product.

What a great addition to the RPG. Is it totally necessary? Actually, yes. It adds to the flavor of the universe to be able to populate it with droids. I haven't (obviously) used it in a campaign yet, but it will be added in the next adventure. It gives stats for all the classic droids and some from the expanded universe and beyond. A must have for any GM looking to populate their universe a little more.

Although I'm a BIG fan of the Star Wars Saga Edition RPG, this book rates right down at the bottom with Threats of the Galaxy in terms of editing and quality control. While it may contain some nifty new ideas, it's too full of holes to be of much actual use. The new "Droids as Equipment" rules contradict themselves in several places, and their implementation with the new droids in the codex doesn't always make sense. A number of the new accessories in the book don't come with prices (or else the description will mention an upgraded version but will provide little or no details). There are more typos than usual for a WotC product, and in one instance a whole paragraph is missing from one of the new droid entries.



There ARE some interesting new concepts and bits of equipment in this book, but some of them aren't usable because of the many omissions and/or contradictions. Think twice before purchasing this book.'


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Textiles


While the photos are fine, organized by type of pattern/image, there is not enough text or information on the various fabrics. The reader would benefit from an explanation of some different fabric types, like "kente" or "mud cloth". We never find out what these or others are, what they mean, where they come from, where you might find them, what they are used for, etc. There is Nothing on the background of the fabrics in this book, so while it pretends, with its intro, to shed light on Africa's textile arts and making "bridges to cultures other than one's own", it actually shows a random sampling of textile patterns, some of which are made more for Western consumption, some for people there, by anonymous authors used by anonymous people. This book is not beautiful enough to make up for the utter lack of context and meaningful information. African Prints (Schiffer Book for Woodcarvers)'


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47 Inch


Summary - This is a good buy if you are looking for a LED Television with 3D and internet capability.



Background - This television is mounted on the provided stand and placed on top of a media chest. The television sits above the seated viewers. Replaces a 5 year old 40" Sony Bravida LCD panel. Connected to a HD TiVo and a Sony Blu Ray.



Set-Up - Fast and easy. The manual is adequate, but not excellent. The "Pro" video set-up is a nice feature and gets the picture looking its best quickly. The HDMI cables come out of the back of the television at a right angle on the left side rear. Placement is not optimal since HDMI cables have a tendency to be stiff and sharp bends are not recommended. There is enough room to make the gentle bend and align the cables, but tie wraps are a must for more than one cable.



Stand - Basic. Swivels right to left, but a tilt feature should have been included. See comments about 3D for explanation. A cable management slot on the stand would also have been nice to clean-up the cables for those who are not wall mounting.



Picture - Sharp and clear. No motion artifacts. Superior to the Sony it replaces, but this was expected due to the technology improvements since the purchase of the Sony.



Sound - Decent for ultra-thin panel televisions. If you are looking for audio quality, I recommend an external amplifier and speakers. For normal viewing, the sound is acceptable and voices are clear.



3D Blu ray - Comparable to my expensive active 3D television without the flicker and associated issues. Although the picture quality is not as high, I challenge most viewers to tell the difference. As stated in other reviews, there is some ghosting if the television tilt does not point the television straight at the viewer (A tilting stand would have been a nice feature for LG to add, but alas, it only swivels!). To the right and left of the television, there is no degradation of the 3D experience.



2D to 3D - This television does a superior job of converting 2D into 3D. It seems to excel when the film has depth of field and the less action, but the overall experience is very good. Based on my prior experience with my Active 3D television, I expected far less and found this to be a compelling 3D experience.



Internet TV - Linked to Amazon.com quickly and easily. Netflix was also excellent. Some buffering issues left me wishing that the television stored more of he content locally as the video streamed. Web Browsing was less than adequate and I did not find it a useful experience, with the television not always responding to the commands of the remote. Apps are limited and it made me wonder why someone does not develop an Android based television or a iOS based television so that there could be more Aps to access.



Remote - The standard remote is decent and well laid out, but unless you own LG components, you will have to have multiple remotes. A learning remote would have been a nice feature. Key back-light is dimmer than I would like.



Magic Wand Remote - Think Wii controller for a television. Similar to other people, I had trouble with the response of the remote and found it worked best when I was sitting straight in front of the television. I felt that the software could use further optimization and I don't see this currently as product differentiation and I would not buy this television for this capability alone.



Recommendation - I would recommend this television and I am satisfied with the purchase. LG Infinia 47LW5600 47-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV with Smart TV (Included: Four Pairs of 3D Glasses)

No Flicker / Wider Viewing Angle / Brighter Picture / Cheaper Glasses / No Recharging / More Fun with more Friends



Active 3D is already obsolete. If you don't believe me do a side by side comparison at your local electronic store. Yes, you do have half the resolution when viewing in 3D, but you will not be able to tell. The pixels are spilt in half from 1080 to 540, but you see both halves of a 540 image at the same time giving you that full HD illusion. It's amazing! I have 20/20 vision and sit 7ft away from my TV and I see no jagged edges. I have heard the bigger the TV the worse the picture looks in 3D with passive technology. I was sold after looking at the 55" at the electronic store. It is every bit of the 3D experience you'll find in an active 3D set if not better and more natural like the theaters. Check it out for yourself. I purchased this 47" lw5600 and am very pleased.



However, there is some negatives about this TV which is why I gave it 4 stars.



1) The magic motion controller is to horrible for browsing the web. It's worthless, think about having to point at every letter you want to spell, don't even get me started on scrolling down a page. I almost developed turrets syndrome trying to use this thing. I've given up trying, so I just connected my laptop to the TV so I can use my wireless mouse and keyboard to surf the web. -1/2 STARS



2) The stand is cheap. It looks good but the TV will wobbles when you move it. Don't worry its not going to break but LG could have just put a little more effort in this TV's stand. However, I do like that it swivels. -1/4 STARS



3) This TV must be at eye level. 3D images will start ghosting if you looking down or up at this TV. This is no big deal considering you have a huge viewing angle and you can view 3d when lying down. Also, It can be mounted above or below you if angled correctly -1/4 STARS

The passive 3-D works quite well, but you will want to be eye level with the set. (No above the fireplace mounting here) There is almost no ghosting at all, even on content which contains crosstalk on my 3-D plasma. Resolution IS reduced (I can easily tell) but it isn't that bad and as long as you sit far enough away from the set, you won't see scan lines. The 3-D from blu-ray 3D is bright and of course the polarized glasses are lightweight and easily replaceable. Directv's 3-D channels are bit softer on this set but still acceptable.



Is it as good as my active 3-D set? Not quite, as the active has better picture quality, but the passive set comes out on top even over the plasma as far as lack of ghosting/crosstalk goes. I think most casual 3-D viewers would be quite pleased. 2-D to 3-D conversion is probably the best I've seen also, though I would rarely use this feature.



I wouldn't call active obsolete (after all, 3-D content works on either kind of set, just as you can choose between LCD, plasma or DLP, you can choose active or passive) but if they can get the resolution to be better (full 1080p in both eyes) I would expect the market to go in the passive direction.



2-D picture is excellent, and the various apps and internet features are well executed.'


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