Fitness Lifestyle - fitness ball, medicine ball

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No problems with delivery. At first it felt like a big hard block, then I remembered to inflate it a little. Feels great, exercises muscles in a very different way than regular weights. Have had it about a month, air pressure is holding up nicely. Valeo WFB8 8 lb. Weighted Fitness Ball (8 lb)

I do not like this ball because it is filled with sand that sloshes around as you move the ball. It is very annoying. If the sand completely filled the ball, it would be acceptable. I think I would prefer a medicine ball-which is actually what I thought I was getting anyway.

I love the Valeo fitness ball, my only problem is that when it came it was extremely deflated and nothing like the image on the site. I wasn't expecting to have to purchase a pump to go with the ball. Would probably not buy this product online again.

I purchased these inexpensive fitness balls for use as projectiles on a trebuchet. I've hurled these balls dozens of times, and none of them have suffered as much as a scratch. Their durablity is pretty impressive considering the balls sail 500 feet into the woods. I can't imagine anyone would have any problems with these balls when used for their intended purpose.

It's obviously my fault for not realizing what 5" diameter means, but I was surprised to find this quite a bit smaller than I was expecting. This actually ended up okay (once I bought a medicine ball that was closer in size to what I was visualizing) because certain lifts work better with a small ball, especially one that be gripped with one hand.



The ball does need a tiny bit of air pumped in before use (a needle is provided in the packaging), but it is a little annoying to have the inner volume be 80% sand, 20% air, which you can definitely feel.



This is a very simple product and, paraphrasing the immortal Dennis Green, "it is what we thought it was" (just make sure you think it's a 5" ball).

Bought two of these to use with Leslie Sansone's "Walk away the pounds" DVD program. Works perfectly. I put a little baby powder on the balls to reduce the "plastic," sticky feel, and they are easier to hold and use than dumbbells. May be too large for small hands, but they fit mine great. Good quality materials and bright yellow color.

Perfect size to juggle with. Bought 3 to work with. It is quite a workout keeping these ball going. Have dropped them many times now...no damage to the balls themselves. 2 lbs is too light for me now so will purchase three 4 lb balls soon.

This is a weighed fitness ball, but very deceptive by what you see. The ball is small - about the size of a cantalope - and full of sand for the weight. It is slippery rubber on the outside so you can't use it for certain exercises because it can slip out of your hand. We were very unhappy with the product.

I've owned this item for about two weeks and used it four times within this period. My disappointment is partially my own fault. I was actually looking for medicine ball when I ordered this and didn't realize that a "fitness ball" is not quite the same thing. BUT--for the price and purpose of my purchase, it fits my need. The fitness ball is much smaller/compact than a typical medicine ball that you would find in a gym. What I've learned is that with regard to size: medicine ball=basketball size; fitness ball=grapefruit size. Again-for the most part I can still use it for resistance in core strengthening. The item itself has a nice rubber coating around it for comfort in the hands, but can be a little slippery once you start sweating. This makes the textured surface and/or dual grips of a medicine ball advantageous. Also--the item can lose its round 'sphere-like' shape. It appears to be filled with a dense sand or powder-like material and can get lumpy, from my experience. If I had known what I know today, I wouldn't have purchased this item. Rather, I would have spent the extra $15-20 for Dual-Grip Medicine Ball by Spri or Body-Solid. As it stands today, I will most likely keep this one until I buy the Body-Solid alternative, as my research (and use of both above mentioned dual-grip medicine balls), leads me to believe that Body-Solid provides better quality/cost options. Thank you and hope this helps in your search! - Fitness Ball - Fitness - Core Training Ball - Medicine Ball'

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Saw Blades - dado, razor blade

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I bought the SBOX8 box joint cutter to make 20 decorative boxes for our woodclub's Toys for Kids Christmas project - The older kids need something nice too. This mini-dado is not cheap but does a first-class job of cutting accurate box joints. Once you make up the spacing jig to attach to your miter, you can crank out box sides very quickly. I was using some 1/4 veneered plywood and had very, very minor chipout. Much less than the 1/4 brand-new spiral cut router bit I first tried to use to cut the joints. I always say to buy the best tool you can afford, it's usually money well spent and the SBOX8 is worth every penny.

LOU Freud SBOX8 Box Joint Cutter Set, Cuts 1/4-Inch and 3/8-Inch grooves.

I tried unsuccessfully for years to cut the perfect box joint with a dado cutter. I could never get the bottoms of the groves flat, without filing and messing with it after they were cut. The instructions for the jig was easy to understand and build. After cutting the box joints with the Freud cutter, I didn't have to fiddle with them any more. This is money well spent for a cutter that is simple and easy to use, and gets excellent results every time.

The quality of the blades is great, there is a LOT of carbide on these teeth. I had no problems installing the blades or building the jig, the instructions were very clear.



The cuts are very nice, no tearout, only minor splintering with plywood. Certainly no worse than ripping or crosscutting plywood with a regular blade.



Tip: If possible, secure the jig to your miter gauge using a bolt rather than a screw. I simply countersunk a hole on the "blade" side of the jig and epoxied in a nut. This prevents the screw hole from slipping after a while.

It works as descibed. The instructions for setting up the jig to cut the joints on the table saw are good, although i still had to mess with it a little bit like some of the more standard ways to set up that type of jig. It cuts real nice and clean too. I only needed something for doing various knotches for half laps and that kinda thing so for me it was a way better value than spending 300 bucks for a dado blade. Wish you could just run one blade only but other than that, I'd definitely recommend it.

Chalk another innovation from Freud!! This Dado set makes perfect box joints. After trying a countless number of other jigs using routers, I decided to try this dado set. The most important aspect about using this dado, is the jig itself. Make a quality jig that is adjustable for finger width, make sure the miter bar has no slop, and the index finger is tight to hold the work piece while cutting the other slots. Once adjustments are fine tuned, results are flawless. The problem with using a router, is that its rotary cutting action from the bit tends to tear out the wood when the bit breaks through the slot. Using this Dado setup eliminates all that. Also, it's way faster than using a router. If I had to do all the experimenting over again, I would just buy this dado and scrap everything else. I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend this to anyone.

This blade set makes cutting box joints easier and much more accurate, especially if you try to cut them with a wobble blade like I have been. It makes them square & precise. But there can't be any play in the miter gauge that the jig is attached to. Also, the cut must be backed up precisely. I glue a new piece of wood in the previous slot in the backer board each time I go to a shallower joint or it will blow out the back of the joint. I like the looks of my boxes now most of the time. Its money well spent for a good product. I would buy it again.

I didn't really NEED this... Afer all, I already had a nice Freud Dado set and a #10 grind Forrest blade, both of which can do box joint cuts. But it sure is convenient to just throw the blades on and start cutting -- perfect 1/4 or 3/8 cuts, with no shims, adjustments, or multiple passes required.



Cuts very cleanly and makes a perfectly square bottom as needed for box joints. I have several other Freud blades, and like those the quality of this set is top notch.

I own a Freud dado set and have used it to cut box joints...and it works; however, this dedicated box joint blade set yields a better box joint. The reason? A good dado set has flat top teeth and beveled teeth. The flat top teeth leave a nice flat-bottomed dado. The beveled teeth have the bevel points facing the outside of the dado stack and cut a groove slightly deeper than the flat top teeth. While this groove allows the cutter to cleanly slice through plywood veneers and leave a clean dado without torn wood fibers attached in the bottom corners of the dado, it does leave the grooves cut by those beveled teeth on either side of the dado bottom. So, if you use a standard dado set for box joints, each notch has those darn grooves that prevent a perfect fit of the fingers of the adjacent parts. Not a huge deal--that's why wood putty was invented. But if you're a perfectionist, it's annoying. This box joint set has only flat top teeth, so there's no groove on either side of the cut. Nice and precise. When I bought this set, I was not enthusiastic about being married to only 1/4 or 3/8 finger joints, but I got over it. I always use the 3/8 configuration, and it has made my box joint jig much simpler--I no longer need an adjustable jig since I'm always cutting 3/8 box joints...so this blade set has simplified my life. I've used it to make boxes, drawers, and a display case. It's a pleasure to use. I don't have to fiddle around with shimming the blades as I did when I was using a dado set for this application. It makes it so convenient to cut box joints, that I find I use them much more than I would without this blade set.

After trying to make a box joint jig and still not happy with the results, I was a bit hesitant about trying this set. Boy was I wrong! Following the easy to understand and easier to make instructions and jig, my first porject was a huge success. For me at least the price was a considerable amount, but will have a high quality addition to my tools for years to come.... - Woodworking - Razor Blade - Dado - Freud'

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Screen Protector - screen, screen protector

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I'm one of those people who do not believe in spending more than $5 on screen protectors - they're just small pieces of plastic. However, they're very important pieces of plastic that no large-screened smartphone should go without. These screen protectors are not only cheap and effective, but they're easy to put on. I put one on my Epic and my girlfriend's Epic. Both times I managed to apply them perfectly, such that you can't even tell that they're there. They don't seem to affect the quality of the front facing camera, and the cutouts are perfect (if you align them perfectly). No bubbles on either application and it only took me 5 minutes to do. The included cleaning cloth is great too. You can also use it to clean the screen protector if too much grease or too many fingerprints get on the screen. Would definitely recommend these, since they're cheap and they work great. Three LCD Screen Guards / Protectors for Samsung Epic 4G

These screen guards were exactly what we were looking for. They are crystal clear, super smooth to the touch, and once applied look just like the original phone screen. I did have a little trouble getting the first one installed. I have two phones, so I did mine first. I eventually got it, but after about 5 attempts I had managed to get a couple of tiny pieces of lint under the protector. Having worked the technique out on my phone, when I went to the wife's phone. It of course went on perfectly with no issues. I have one left that I will probably use in a second attempt on my phone to try and get it perfect as well.



So, in summary, these are fantastic. The only difficulty is getting them installed without messing them up. You must be able to see clearly, and have steady hands, and you MUST get the screen ABSOLUTELY clean of any and all dust, lint or finger prints before applying.



Good luck!

I had seen a lot of screen protectors for the Samsung Epic 4G (Galaxy S), and they all pretty much said the same thing: either the protector was too long, way too short, or covered up the front camera. This one, however, had no reviews, but was so cheap I couldn't resist at least trying; worst case, I spent $3 and the protector needs to be either modified or doesnt cover the bottom...no biggie! I was pleasently surprised when the item arrived in the mail. I got 3 individual packs, each containing a screen protector, application card, and cleaning cloth. The protector was difficult to put on perfectly straight, but it was my first time. I reapplied it and got it spot on. The protector fits side-to-side very well, is only short by maybe a millimeter on the bottom, and has accurate cutouts for the front camera, LED/light sensor, and ear piece. Overall I am very pleased with this protector and would recommend them to anyone with an Epic 4G/Galaxy S phone of the same size.



The only negative I have is that I feel like it takes much more effort to keep the screen clean, but that's could just be how all protectors are (again, this is my first screen protector).

ITEMS ARRIVED ON TIME & IN GOOD CONDITION. THESE ARE EXCELLENT SCREEN PROTECTORS.

THEY ARE ALMOST INVISIBLE AND GIVE WHAT YOU APPLY THEM TO A NICE FINISH AND THEY LAST FOR A LONG TIME.

FOR THOSE THAT SAY THEY CANT GET THE STICKER OF THE PROTECTOR YOU SHOULD NOTE THAT THE STICKER IS NOT ON THE PROTECTOR ITS ON THE FILM THAT PROTECTS THE SCREEN PROTECTOR. THERE'S ONE ON EACH SIDE. SO IF YOU APPLIED THE PROTECTOR & CANT GET THE STICKER OFF YOUVE APPLIED THE FILM ITSELF, OR THE FILM IS STILL ON THE PROTECTOR

TRY TAKING SOME TAPE AND PEELING THE FILM OFF.

I DISCOVERED THIS BY ACCIDENT AFTER MESSING UP 2 PROTECTORS ON MY FIRST ORDER

ALSO THE PROTECTOR IS NOT FLIMSY ITS RATHER FIRM. ON MY FIRST ORDER I APPLIED THE PROTECTIVE FILM INSTEAD OF THE SCREEN PROTECTOR. I THOUGHT THE FIRM PART WAS TO KEEP THE FILM FROM BEING DAMAGED



HOPE THIS HELPS



BETTER INSTRUCTIONS WOULD BE THE ONLY IMPROVEMENT SO 4 STARS

These were bought for my wife's phone. She was unable to get any of the 3 screens to attach without any bubbles. I have since ordered screens from someone else and she was able to put the first one on fine without any bubbles. These are so cheap though that I'm not too upset.

It's been a while since I installed a screen saver and I screwed up the first one. If any speck of dust gets under it during the installation, it's impossible to squeegee it out. I couldn't roll the protective cover off the back of the protector so I removed it entirely and caught some dust when I was aligning it on the phone. The instructions on the packaging really don't cover this. Hope I have better luck with the other two.

Update: I did a better job with the second install but it's still hard to align the protector after removing the backing sheet. I will use this one for a while but it is loose in one corner and will not last. I won't be buying this brand again.

First off they came in an envelope with no packaging and instructions. They came pre-scratched, all three. And they are not what was in the picture. They have a cut out for the front cam and earpiece but not holes like in the pic just a long cutout. I have tried applying them over and over again and each time there is bubbles. This item sucks, buy something else. I am only keeping them because it was so cheap not worth the time to send it back.

I usually am one to gripe about screen protectors. I give bad reviews when the plastic is cheap, prone to warping or if the material alters the touch/feel experience of any type of touch screen. Newer screen protectors are starting to become made with more harder plastic and come with a protective sheet on both sides [one of the best ideas/advances for screen protectors]. Applying the screen protector is the same process, make sure you're in a relatively dust/lint free environment, have some scotch tape handy to stick to any debris in case you catch something in between your screen protector and screen [you will see this if smaller bubbles appear and you can see a microscopic fiber or spec underneath. You will notice while apply, the adhesive is very liberal [not too sticky, but sticky enough to stay on - which is great if u keep needing to realign, which most of you will do. The best part about this protector is that is looks and feels like the natural material the phone uses. It doesn't distort the screen [I've seen some Epic 4gs, and Facinate phones that have either rubber feeling protectors or ones that are really horrible that distort the pixels RGB display and looks like microscopic RGB glitter all over the screen! This screen protector does not do that. In fact, even with smudges which *will* appear [because of its "like-glass" surface], when the screen is on, you won't notice these things until the screen is dark.

I like this screen protector so much that I will buy another set of 3 right now.

Edit: P.S. The screen protectors were purchase from Accessory One. I just checked and it looked like the seller changed to someone else. So I may need to wait to make sure I get the same exact product. - Epic - Protector - Screen - Screen Protector'

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Weight Vests - exercise, mir weighted vest

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It's a good product that's manufactured with some serious quality. And it's as comfortable as a weight vest can be. The two issues I had with this product had to deal with the one size fits all. I'm 5'11" and weigh 165 lbs - the vests Velcro system doesn't fully tighten to my chest and since I can't tighten it fully it causes the length of the vest to bounce and disrupt my groan during my routines. Overall, its well made and is worth your money. (Weekly Special Sale - 50% Off/5 Days Only !) NEW! ZFO SportsTM -60LBS Adjustable Weighted Vest (WEIGHTS INCLUDED.One size fits all.)

This looked like a good value in the advertisement. Upon receiving the product, I noted that the enclosed direction pamphlet was difficult to read/understand and it applied generically to all of the seller's products. There is no phone number/site to contact the seller for information. Not all of the belts were included in the package to complete the product.

My husband purchased this vest to train for the CPAT (firefighter) test. Since the CPAT requires the use of a weighted vest while on the stairmaster, he decided he better train with one on. This vest has held up amazingly after weeks of usage while working out, and even sweating on it. It is awesome how you can adjust the weights, so you can start out light, and work your way up. Also, it is pretty easy to strap on and adjust.



We had shopped at 4-5 sporting goods stores in search of a vest that had this much weight, but the few we found were very expensive and/or appeared cheaply made. The seams on this vest are very strong and hold up to the weight perfectly. The shipping cost on this vest did put the price up about $30, but it was still cheaper than the ones we found in the local stores.



You will not be disapointed.

Some other people said this vest doesn't come with instructions, but my vest did come with detailed step-by-step instructions on how to assemble,use the vest, and wash the vest. Though that may be a new thing.

It's made of durable materials so it will last a while. To its credit it does seem to be one size fits all. You would have to be extremely fat or skinny for the vest to not fit right.

This product ships out of california so delivery times will vary. I live in Colorado and the product was delivered the day after I ordered it.

The vest is fantastic. Seems to be very well made and is very heavy. As long as you make the shoulder straps tight enough, the vest will not hit your thighs when stepping up. I am really looking forward to including this in my chest, back, and leg workouts! One thing I will mention- the vest comes shipped in a USPS Flat Rate priority box, which costs about $14 to ship. The company charges $30 for shipping, which is a little misleading. If you want to have the extra $15 in profit, just add it to the price of the vest, don't hide it in the shipping, it makes customers feel like you are not being totally up front with them. That aside, the vest is awesome and they are LIGHTNING quick with shipping- it arrived about 3 or 4 days after I ordered it.

I was searching for a vest that you could remove some or all of the weights if you wanted to. When I saw the name of this vest I wanted to verify that 'adjustable' meant the weights and not just the size since it is one size fits all. Customer service was great-someone got back to me immediately! After I sent in my order I heard back within one hour that the item was shipped. They gave me a time frame as to when I can expect to receive it. We were pleasantly surprised when it arrived about 5 days before the earliest date they gave us. This was a gift for my son and he loves it! The construction of the vest is great-easy to put on and adjust to his size. The quality of the stitching is strong. The weights are easy to put in and take out of their compartments. It is comfortable to wear (as comfortable as 60lbs on your back can be) and does not shift around when you're walking. We would not hesitate to order from this company again and would highly recommend this product.(Weekly Special Sale - 50% Off/5 Days Only !) NEW! ZFO SportsTM -60LBS Adjustable Weighted Vest (WEIGHTS INCLUDED.One size fits all.)

This weighted vest really made the difference in my new workout routine. I saw immediate gains from just wearing it around the house before mixing it into my work out routine. After 2 weeks, I noticed that my balance and posture both improved as well. This vest is defiantly for a person looking to improve balance, quickness, and core strength with out hassle. - Mir Weighted Vest - Exercise - 40 Lb Weight Vest - Fitness Gear'

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Good Quality - palm, hp

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I ordered these earrings as a gift for my sister. I was a little hesitant to buy them as no one had yet written a review but I am so glad that I did! The swiss blue topaz stones matched perfectly and were a gorgeous color. The setting seemed to be well made and the stones were secure. I think that these earrings were a great deal! 10k White Gold Round Peridot Gemstone Earring Studs (6mm, 1.80 cttw) - Jewelry - Palm - Tablet - Hp'

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Camera Accessories

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Before buying this item, I did lot of research on all types of tripod.



1. All Flexi mini Tripods in this category are same except Brand name on Tripod. I purchased Zeikos and other 2 brands from Amazon.



I tried this tripod on Sony Cybershot DSC (Whose tripod holder is not at center place (Sony likes different)). but I did not face any issue with that.

This Tripod strong enough for a Canon SX10IS.(its similar to SLR without additional lenses. But You need to spread out the legs of Tripod.)



2. I bought this mini Flexi tripod and ended up making this my travel companion. Here are my reasons for liking it a lot:

- It's sturdier than I expected. The rubber feet prevent slipping and the flexible legs can easily hold a typical camera without bending under the weight.

- While it's light enough to carry around, you can keep in your pocket. Flexi Tripod size is less than 6".

- With the legs spread out at the bottom it makes a great grip for little cameras.

- Its perfect replacement for Mini Tripod also Mini Tripod are more bulkier, heavier.

- Flexi Tripod helps you a lot to take pictures on self timer with less space available for Tripod.

- You can spread out the legs also bend/twist the legs (not at great extend)to adjust the angle.

- Unlike straight-leg tripods, you can make the feet grip a vertical edge, like a cube partition.

- shooting at a low speed and risk of blurring the shot, You can use any object/ place for stability (6" X 6" place is more than enough)

- Very nice tripod for who thinks they are not professional photographers.



Drawbacks

- One design drawback is the mounting screw is fixed. You don't get a little thumb knob to twist when mounting the camera, you have to rotate the whole tripod. But it's so small and the legs squeeze together so close that it's easy to do.

- Tripod height is less if you keep on ground its but obvious it makes some angle when you are standing for photograph.

- I am not sure about life of this Tripod, But It can go for 2-3 years at least :)



Conclusion:

Hello!!!

You are buying this item for nothing. This item is just for $1-$4 range. Don't compare with Costly gorilla pod/ mini Tripod.

Who needs quick photographs at any place(and bother to ask others for clicking your snap). If you lost this item you will never mind.

This item is great you can go for that. Flexible Leg Table top Tripod

How do they manufacture something like this across the ocean in China or somewhere, package it, ship it to the US, ship it from Port of Entry to the retailer, pay Amazon their commission, and then ship it to the end user, ALL FOR UNDER TWO BUCKS delivered to your door?!? It's crazy! I'm amazed! Even more amazing is that it really works!



I bought it because it is small enough to fit in my camera bag, and never again will I be wishing I had something besides a rock or a table or a tree branch to balance my camera on. Yes, it's only 4 inches tall, and that means you can't spread the legs far enough for some serious stability like you would be able to do with something with longer legs. But for my approx 1-2 lb digital camera, it is plenty stable, and you can bend the legs every-which way, meaning that you can put them where they need to be to hold your camera securely, as well as angle the lens slightly up or down, or adjust for unevenness of whatever surface you are setting the tripod on. You can easily spread the legs as far as 6" apart, so you can get the feet comfortably outside of your camera's center of gravity. The legs are stiff enough to stay where you put them, although you have to initially bend them past the point you want, as they will spring back a little bit. The little rubber feet have good traction.



So while the downside is that it is not a larger tripod, the upside is that it is not a larger tripod. It fits in my camera bag and will hold my camera much more steady and securely than balancing it on some fencepost, the roof of a car, or whatever I've resorted to before. And did I mention that it's PRACTICALLY FREE?!?



Besides the inherent limitations of a small - no - tiny tripod, the only other negative I've noticed is that the little rubber feet will leave a "track" on a light-colored countertop if you scoot it around, but that comes off easily with some spray cleaner and a paper towel. Also, some reviews of similar products here on Amazon mention a "toxic plasticy odor" that is apparently extremely strong with some similar products. That was what I was most worried about when I ordered this one, and I'm pleased to say that, while it does have a slight "plasticy" smell, it is no worse than many new products made of rubber or plastic when you first open the box. But it is not a strong odor, and I think it will actually go away completely with some time airing out.



The price varies, depending upon who you get it from - I got mine from GetItDigital for less than two bucks with free shipping. (And the shipping is free even if you only order this one item, instead of having to reach the $25 minimum order that sometimes applies.)



So go ahead, get one - what do you have to lose? Two bucks? How many times would you have given a lot more than that to have something besides a rock to balance your camera on?'

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Olivia Manning - olivia manning, kenneth branagh

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I was so pleased when "Fortunes of War" was released on DVD! When I first saw this splendid BBC television series, I rushed to the nearest bookstore (in Rome at the time) and bought Olivia Manning's mammoth Balkan and Levant trilogies, which I have since devoured at least three times (so much so that the paperback editions are falling apart). Reading, however, in no way lessens, but, instead, enhances one's enjoyment of "Fortunes of War," which preserves the essence of Manning's novels. Visually stunning, the film recreates Bucharest and Athens on the brink of World War II, and then Cairo and Alexandria, as well as Damascus and Jerusalem, the outposts of the British Empire in the Levant. One step ahead of the advancing Nazi armies, Guy and Harriet Pringle, the film's central characters, are constantly uprooted and forced to be on the move.



Guy, acted with affable understatement by Kenneth Brannagh, epitomizes the type of academic who constantly puts the wants of his students first. Friend to all the world, Guy Pringle remains totally oblivious to the needs of his newly-married bride. Harriet, played with a dry and subtle irony by Emma Thompson, must cope with setting up house, first, in a city that is about to fall to the juggernaut of the Third Reich; next, in a series of hotel rooms, each more seedy than the last; and finally, sharing digs in Cairo with an odd assortment of British expatriates (and their even odder friends and acquaintances who continually drift in and out of the premises). Guy simply cannot understand that Harriet might be miffed at his heedlessness. For example, after Guy offers her the female title role in Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida," she suddenly discovers that he has taken the part away without telling her and has given it to Sophie, a Rumanian professional student and troublemaker who resents Harriet's presence, both in Bucharest and in Guy's life. It is not that Guy Pringle does not love his "little monkey's paws," Harriet; he simply takes her for granted.



Among the outstanding ensemble cast, two performances are memorable: those of Ronald Pickup and Alan Bennett.



Pickup plays the incorrigible Prince Yakimov, a displaced Anglo-Russian aristocrat, long-since fallen on hard times. Pickup's performance is so poignantly nuanced that the viewer is moved from loathing, to laughing--first at him and then with him--and finally to loving him. "Poor Yaki" resembles a spoiled but irrepressibly sweet and helpless child. Not even the much-imposed-upon Harriet can remain angry at a man who appears before her wearing one brown and one black shoe and then explains that he has another pair just like them at home.



Alan Bennett plays the insufferably fussy Cambridge don, Professor Lord Pinkrose, who is always on the verge of giving his renowned lecture on Byron but who, for one reason or another, is always prevented from doing so. Bennett's performance does not make one love Pinkrose (nor should it); it does, however, make one recognize him (He often sits on dissertation committees!). With his smarmy herd of acolytes (including the odious Toby Lush and the insidious Dubidat), Pinkrose, who always darts a baneful glance in Harriet's direction, causes Guy so much trouble that the viewer is tempted to cheer when the Lord Professor finally gets his just desserts. Every film ought to have a character that one loves to hate, and Alan Bennett plays this one to perfection.



The viewer seeking the wartime thrills of dogfighting Messerschmidts, exploding bombs, and action packed battle sequences should go watch "Saving Private Ryan" or a John Wayne movie. Even though the conflict in "Fortunes of War" is omnipresent, it is always just over the horizon. It nevertheless exerts a profound impact on the characters, both major and minor. It exerts an equally profound impact on the audience. For the discerning viewer, who appreciates exceptional acting and remarkable characterization, "Fortunes of War" represents the epitome of cinematic storytelling.



For Kenneth Brannagh and Emma Thompson, who acted together for the first time, this film represented "the start of a beautiful friendship," both on film and in real life. Unfortunately, it was not to last, but "Fortunes of War" at least allows us to glimpse the brilliant start, and to be glad that their joint venture in film lasted as long as it did! Fortunes of War

This is one of the most underappreciated films which delves successfully into the personal side of life during wartime. Life, business, and education goes on even though the world is trying to kill itself. Love is found and lost, jobs come and go, and life goes on-even as the bombs fall. Branagh and Thomson are as always endearing as much for their flaws as for their charms. The scenery and cinematography is simply spectacular. This is in many way reminiscent of The English Patient, while not as powerful or brilliant, still very enjoyable, and highly recomended.

I have watched Fortunes of War a score of times. I just can't seem to get enough of the characters and they live on in my imagination long after viewing has ended. I have recommended this film successfully to a broad variety of friends, who have all loved it as well. It has appeal on many levels, the music, the scenery (Romania, Greece, Egypt) and outstanding dramatic work by the principals. I find this work haunts me and I have seen different aspects of it upon repeated viewing--once focusing completely on Guy Pringle, the next time taking a closer look at Harriet's character, and so on. It really is wonderful.

The very young Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, struggling on many levels across wartorn Europe and Cairo.Incredible cast of unforgettable characters, taut story line throughout about a young married couple escaping the enemy but not themselves. The acting couple were married at the time of the filming. This series represents the best of Masterpiece Theater. - Bbc - Olivia Manning - World War Ii - Kenneth Branagh'

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Touch Of Color - samsung lcd, 40 inch hdtv

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Got this, my first HDTV, for $749 total delivered. Seems like a great deal. Has the AA01 panel:



PROS: Very good HD picture, which becomes stunning with good source material (after calibrating the picture); excellent SD picture (better than the good CRT TV it replaced); tons of controls for picture calibration; streaming Netflix is great, the Pandora app has become my household's new source for music of all types, either through the TV speakers or piped to the stereo; ethernet makes upgrading firmware and internet apps very easy; lots of connectivity; easy to set up; light; swivel stand works well; power efficient; doesn't get hot; no noise or buzz; no dead or stuck pixels; has analog audio out jack (important for old A/V receivers); functions as an outstanding computer monitor (with DVI-to-HDMI cable); glossy screen helps picture and repels dust; can't even notice the red "Touch of Color" design.



CONS: Though black levels are generally very good, when the screen and room are both dark you can see some flashlighting around the corners and some bleedthrough of the backlight; very fast motion on screen will cause brief pixelization and loss of picture clarity (has to be very fast motion -- football and other sports look great); picture quality degrades quickly as you move off-center (though not as much as in some other LCD TVs); requires major picture calibration out of the box (I used settings found in reviews of this TV on the web, tweaked them a bit to preference, and the picture's much better, though it's hard to get it right); most of the current internet apps are useless; the factory preset modes are useless.



Overall it's a very good TV, with a picture that can sometimes be mesmerizing. And I'm glad I paid a bit extra for the C650's internet connectivity and glossy screen. But my main complaints - backlight bleedthrough, motion pixelization and off-center picture quality - lead me to believe that my next TV might be a plasma. Sound is adequate, neither a pro or con really. Four stars. Samsung LN40C650 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)

I'm not going to focus on picture quality, there are plenty of reviews for the other Samsung TV's in this class (LN**C6/5**)that will give you some idea. The short of it: Excellent picture quality, and superb build quality. Instead I'm going to focus on the extra "Internet@TV" features and it's media playback abilities. After all, that's the only reason to spend an extra hundred or two on this model right?



Some of the Internet@TV apps aren't as gimmicky as you might expect. Sure, there are some really awful games, some of which are trials. I certainly wouldn't expect to buy any games for this TV. Graphically, it isn't a capable machine. They sort of remind me of a set of mediocre 2D-only flash games with really poor framerates. So, game apps are out. That said, a small collection of the apps are actually very useful. Netflix works great, and did so right out of the box. Pandora is excellent, and unlike the online version, has no ads with a free account. The youtube app also works great, although searching for videos can be a pain using the remote since you have to use some sort of phone-like input method for typing. It does have T9 and a decent dictionary to speed things up. There are a couple of other video streaming apps that seem polished including Hulu Plus, Vudu, Blockbuster, and CinemaNow. Hulu Plus is still in beta, but after trying out a few of their samples, it seems well made. Vudu, Blockbuster, and CinemaNow are too expensive for my tastes, renting movies for 25%-30% of the price to own isn't worth it to me. And buying a digital copy from either place without also having a physical copy doesn't cut it. Especially if they are the same price.



There are twitter and facebook apps, but a lot of the use of those apps comes from communication. I haven't yet tried either of them, but I can't imagine trying to type out any sort of response using the remote. There's also a daily motion app, that works well and fits in the youtube category. Google maps is almost useful, but like the rest of the graphically intensive apps, there's a fluidity issue. Scrolling the map is a little choppy, and typing in addresses to get directions is slow using the remote. When you throw in the time it takes to load the app, type the addresses, and get your directions, you might as well have got up from the couch and used the computer. It's at least a cool toy to show friends.



The slideshow apps GettyImages, and Picasa Web Albums sort of fall in the same category. They both get a bunch of pics from the web, fine art, and photos, and display them as a slideshow on the TV. They work well enough, but could use a little polish; it would have been great if there was a smooth transition between pics, but both just lazily switch from one photo to the next.



There is a Napster app, but I don't have a subscription to try it out. I'd imagine it would work fairly well, and have a similar flow to the Pandora app, which is great. The AP news ticker app is pretty well done. Instead of interrupting TV, it puts a small ticker at the bottom of the screen and displays various news bytes. At any time, you can change the category or call up the news article being displayed to read it in it's entirety complete with pictures. All without any interruption.



The last app of sorts is the Yahoo! app, although what it amounts to is a gadget bar that runs across the bottom of the screen. You can call the gadget bar at any time by pressing the Yahoo button on the remote. There's a bunch of gadgets you can get for it, and a few redundancies with the apps. In a lot of ways it is more useful. For example, the Accuweather app is fairly lame and not really worth the time it takes to open it. But, the Accuweather gadget is quite a bit better - faster to open, doesn't interrupt what you are watching, has a five day forcast, radar, weather alarms, and a bunch of small bits of weather info. The news and finance gadgets aren't bad either.



The other reason you might want this TV over the lesser models it it's media playing capabilities. The TV itself doesn't play a whole host of formats. It doesn't seem to directly support a lot of fairly common codecs like h264 or AC3; it's possible that the videos I had in those formats, the TV just didn't like for other reasons like resolution, though. Your best bet are the older mpeg4 codecs like xvid/divx with simple mp3 audio in an avi container. This only matters though for videos that are on a device directly connected to a TV, like a flash drive or external hard drive. If you are using the networking capabilities to stream video from another computer, it can support just about every format and resolution. It has never failed to play a video from my PC. And those videos are in just about every format around. It's played DVD VOB's directly from a folder, mkv and avi containers, h264, xvid/divx, AC3 audio, etc.



Here's the key: You have to install a proper DLNA media streamer on the computer. Only one free one exists that'll to the job. Pay attention now. You have to use Serviio if you have any chance of playing all those formats. Serviio.org has all the details and a great community of Samsung TV users that have had excellent experience using the program. Some gripes with streaming on the TV though is that you can't fast forward or rewind yet. I believe Samsung is working on a technique to do it properly, but it's tricky to do from a DLNA protocol standpoint. Serviio also does a great job of grabbing meta-data (video art, genre, director etc.) from the title of the file. With Serviio, media streaming is a pleasure.



Some other things to note, Samsung does seem to be supporting the platform - every week or so, some apps have updates, the TV itself has had an update or two since I bought it about a month ago. With it connected to the internet all of this is painless and fast.



All in all, it's a great purchase. For the price I paid, the extra features were worth it. But it may not be for some others. If you don't want/need network media streaming capabilities, there isn't any reason to get this TV over it's lower cost brothers. For me, it was great having exactly two cables connected to the TV: Power and Ethernet. That's all I need for all my media. - 1080p - Samsung Lcd - 120hz - 40 Inch Hdtv'

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Decorative Arts

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I generally expect a lot from this publisher. They put out many good books on clothing and fabric, but this one really let me down. It is lavishly illustrated, but almost no thought is given to explaining the history of the techniques or materials or the possible provenance of the pieces.



I wanted to know about the embroidery itself: When did the various techniques show up? How are they done? If you're interested in that sort of information, this book is pretty much worthless.



The author went out of her way to include a lot of images, which i appreciated, but there was also a focus on showing pieces that were highly repetitive and in my mind no where near as high quality as others in the collection. More focus on the more complex and interesting pieces and only including a small selection of the more repetitive and highly simple ones would have made for a much better book.



If you want something pretty to look at or you've got some background in embroidery and can work out how the pieces were done on your own from looking at them, go for it. Otherwise, I'd probably think twice before spending the money on this. Instead look at something like the V&A's book on embellishment in world dress, which has several beautiful examples of Indian garments and a lot more informational content. Nomadic Embroideries: India's Tribal Textile Art

For those of us who are needlework craftspeople, this book will provide tremendous inspiration. It also contains many pieces from which we can craft patterns for our own work. I found more sequin designs than in other books from these regions/tribes, which is a boon. There are also plenty of well-shot photos of mirrored garments to keep shishador fans happy.



Even if you're only a collector or admirer of the field and don't intend to work in it, you will have a good time just looking at the gorgeous works here. This book will make a good addition to your library of both decorative and wearable tribal textile art.'

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