Outer Banks - outer banks, north carolina

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This is beach geology 101 rendered in a pleasant and most fluent voice like the best of classic nature writing. The considerable information is meted out in a way that is easily absorbed. Before you reach the end, you are walking on the beach identifying runnels, plunging breakers, nail holes, swash and wrack lines and other exotica without running back to the book for help. You are no longer alarmed at black sand (it's sand of a different mineral base), you have new respect for the heaps of broken shells in your path. You understand how beaches are formed and where sand came from. You now know why a beach never looks the same from one day to the next. You can identify evidence of the mess caused by human intervention. This book will enhance your stay at the beach in ways that whiffle-light detective fiction never will. How to Read a North Carolina Beach: Bubble Holes, Barking Sands, and Rippled Runnels

This slim volume should be packed by any reader heading off to the

beach in North Carolina. The underlying theme is vintage Pilkey, the prophetic gadfly of beach development. He and his co-authors want us to understand that we are loving the beaches to death, like children who capture wild things. Beaches are dynamic, explains Pilkey, and all our efforts to stabiize them in some permanent state for our perpetual enjoyment are ultimately doomed. Thanks to the clear diagrams and excellent pictures, beach walkers and vicarious lovers of golden sands will better understand how this fragile system works. We need to read what Pilkey says, even if we don't want him to be right.

While the book explained a variety of topics relating to NC beaches, I found the writing to be of a rather poor quality. Perhaps this was a result of having three authors involved. Despite this, I did find the answers to several beach related questions and I appreciate the authors' efforts.



I was also somewhat worried that a person who has not yet been to a NC beach may have read this book and assumed that our beaches are all disgustingly overbuilt, polluted, and unnatural. Perhaps I'm just lucky in having only visited the more pristine parts of our more pristine beaches, but a lot of the environmental "sky-is-falling" sections seemed exaggerated. I appreciate the authors' obvious desire to protect this important ecosystem for future generations, but I'm not convinced that scaring people away is the way to do that.

The author has included information on the topics shown in the title which were interesting and informative however, it is clear that the author is anti-development at the beach and this message comes though time and time again. With this much propaganda against building on the coastline I think the book should have been free. - Nature - Outer Banks - North Carolina'

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Traditional Woodworking - woodworking, tools

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So far, I've been happy with the quality of the knife and it's ability to hold an edge and plow through bark. (I'm only using it on smaller log segments.) One improvement could be the red knob-handles - being plastic, they can slip a bit through your hands. Perhaps wood or solid rubber would be prefereable. Lumber Jack Tools DK1000 10-Inch Draw Knife - Tools - Drawknife - Woodworking - Ox-head'

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Modern Warfare 2 - modern warfare 2, modern warfare

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I've divided the following review into sections, based on the type of gameplay from Modern Warfare 2:



Single-Player Campaign:

Pros:

1) Action: The single-player campaign from Modern Warfare 2 is one of the most intense, white-knuckle, action-packed campaigns of any video game I have played EVER. The story is relatively good, and, except for one or two points (mentioned in cons), flows reasonably well. The missions themselves are adventures that will blow your mind. I don't want to spoil anything for prospective players, but as seen in the multiple trailers that preceded the game itself, snowmobiles, silenced snipers, heartbeat sensors, and steering television-guided missiles are among the many amazing things that come in this package. I have played the entire campaign through twice since the game's release midnight on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - the first time on regular difficulty and a second time on veteran difficulty - and it definitely did not get old in between. Imagine a blockbuster action cinematic - but you're the hero.



2) Challenge: The single-player campaign from Modern Warfare 2 is very challenging, more so than that from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Some might see this as a con, but I deem it otherwise. I would say that playing the campaign on regular is approximately equivalent to playing COD4's campaign on hardened. Regular to hardened represents a reasonable level of difficulty; veteran, however (and speaking from experience for the entire campaign) is, at some points, nigh impossible, and I'm NOT exaggerating. On two or three missions there were certain points where I died probably about two dozen times before managing to fight past the enemies or figure out a way to evade them. This, however frustrating, makes for all-the-greater amount of satisfaction when you beat the level, though.



Cons:

1) Storyline: Although the storyline flows reasonably well for the most part, there are one or two crucial turning points in the campaign that, simply put, just don't make too much sense to me. This is kind of jarring to a player who places emphasis on believability and cohesiveness. However, the fun of the campaign is damaged only slightly by this.



Campaign Overall Rankings:

Story: 3.5 stars

Action: 5 stars

Variety: 5 stars

Challenge: 5 stars

Replay Value: 4 stars

Overall: 4.5 stars



Special Ops Missions:

Background Info:

The special ops missions are additional content missions that, for the most part, resemble campaign missions from either Modern Warfare 2's single-player campaign or, on occasion, from that of Call of Duty 4. You can play the missions solo or with a friend on split screen or over Xbox Live, etc. The ops are divided into 5 categories of difficulty, Alpha through Echo. You unlock the higher levels by earning certain amounts of "stars" in the spec-ops missions. For most missions, the number of stars you earn (1-3) depends on the difficulty of the mission that you set (Regular-Veteran). There are 69 possible stars total, which means there are 23 spec-ops missions. I have unlocked all levels through Delta so far, and each has 5 missions, which presumably means that Echo category has only 3, albeit they are surely very challenging.



Pros:

1) Action: Spec-ops missions have several different determinants when determining how much action is in a given mission. Among these determinants are the mission type (more on that in just a second), difficulty, and playstyle. Some missions are definitely run-and-gun, others you will need to rely on stealth, and some the choice is really up to you. Personally, I like the ability to determine how to play a mission to some degree.



2) Variety: The Modern Warfare 2 Spec-ops missions have a lot to offer in terms of different playstyles and objectives. Each mission is categorized based on how it plays in general. Examples of categories include stealth, wave defense, race, assault, and timed assault. The environments also vary a lot, just like that in the campaign, which many of the environments are based off of. So, if you love sniping Ultranationalist dog patrols in the snow, there's something for you; same story if you want to run-and-gun through a marketplace in Rio de Janeiro defusing bombs before the clock runs out.



3) Challenge: Once again, Modern Warfare 2 comes up challenging, and once again I state this as a pro. Although there are slight variations based on the individual missions, the difficulty you set can make a huge difference. I have played through all of the Alpha and Bravo missions on veteran difficulty and the decisions a player makes, as well as how you work with your teammate in split-screen or online co-op, can make a huge difference. Players will also be forced to use good judgment, such as in the stealth missions when they decide whether they should engage or try to sneak past.



Cons:

I really can't think of anything I would genuinely change about the Spec-ops mode. The only thing I can think of that frustrates me is that I definitely pay for my mistakes on the harder difficulties - but that's to be expected, right?



Special Ops Overall Rankings:

Story: N/A

Action: 5 stars

Variety: 5 stars

Challenge: 5 stars

Replay Value: 4 stars

Overall: 5 stars



Multiplayer:

Pros:

1) Maps: For the most part, the maps in Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer mode are very well-done. Most of them are larger than those in Call of Duty 4, although there are still some nice small ones like Rust that can be fun with as few as 2-6 people. The main thing I notice about the maps is the vast increase in dynamics. Nearly all the maps have many routes from point A to point B, whether that be across a street, along some back alleys, underneath in a tunnel, or over the rooftops. The environments themselves are quite interesting, and the graphics are, of course, exemplary. All the gametypes I have played (mainly Team Deathmatch, Sabotage, and Capture the Flag) work well in terms of where players start, where they spawn, and how they can approach the game.



2) Equipment: The sheer amount of STUFF you can acquire in Modern Warfare 2's leveling-up system will blow your mind. While the number of weapons is increased about a third to a half again that of Call of Duty 4 - with additions of new firearms, some of which replace others that have been removed, as well as a number of new equipment and sidearm options - the number of ways to customize said weapons has at least doubled. Whereas in COD4 one could only put one of three equipment attachments on a given weapon (four if you count the grenade launcher, the others being silencer, red-dot sight, and ACOG scope), there are at least 6 for pretty much every gun in Modern Warfare 2. Examples of new attachments include the heartbeat sensor, extended magazines, full-metal jacketed bullets, underslung shotgun, and holographic sight. This variety provides tons of fun when unlocking new attachments by completing challenges and experimenting with different customizations. On top of this, with the bling perk, one can put two attachments on the same weapon, allowing even greater possibilities when building your loadout with the class customization tool.



3) Other Variety: Some other aspects of multiplayer have also been expanded on in Modern Warfare 2 from Call of Duty 4. Some that bear particular mention include the killstreak bonuses, perks, and game modes.



A) Killstreaks: Whereas in COD4 there were three killstreak bonuses (UAV radar, Airstrike, and Attack Helicopter, given at 3, 5, and 7 kill streaks respectively), there are 15 in Modern Warfare 2. Some examples of new ones are predator missile strike, stealth bomber run, AC130, EMP, and (the one that scares me the most) Tactical Nuke, the description for which simply says "End the game with a bang." However, you don't gain them all at once (that would turn games into ridiculous streak-fests). Instead, at certain levels you are able to unlock another killstreak bonus, having started out with UAV, a new bonus called Care Package, and Predator Missile strike. Once a player has more than three bonuses unlocked, the player can choose, at any time prior to any game, which three to have active.



B) Perks: Perks, for those not familiar, are selected bonuses or abilities that a player selects as part of their class when playing multiplayer. There are several new perks in the game that confer interesting and useful, but not overpowered, abilities. Additionally, prolonged use of a perk now eventually allows the achievement and use of a "pro" version of the perk, that gives an additional bonus. A few examples of this are the Bling and Stopping Power perks. Bling "Pro" allows a player to extend the bonus of Bling (two attachments on primary weapon) to the player's secondary weapon or sidearm. Stopping Power "Pro" gives the player an additional damage bonus against vehicles.



C) Game Modes: I am very happy that there are a few new game modes in Modern Warfare 2, particularly with the inclusion of an all-time favorite, Capture the Flag. Other new additions include a gametype called demolition and several traditional game types that are played in third-person mode, similar to Gears of War.



4) Volume: Whereas Call of Duty 4 had 55 levels in any given progression, Modern Warfare 2 has 70. Add that to 14 different online playlists and 16 starting maps (and Activision has announced at least 2 DLC map packs will be on the way), there is a great deal of replay value in Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer.



Cons:

1) Party Chat: It's in practically every review, I know, but I should include it anyways: most playlists in Modern Warfare 2 (all except Mercenary Team Deathmatch, Free-for-All, Ground War, 3rd Person Teams, and 3rd Person Cage Match) require you to be in game chat mode - no talking to friends who aren't in the game over a separate party. This isn't an extremely big problem in my opinion, but it can be slightly annoying, especially if there is someone else in the game who is being annoying. However, you always have the option of muting particular players. If you really wanted to, you could just mute everyone in the playlist except your friends, unless they're not playing with you.



2) Particular Maps: This is a purely subjective con, but I'll throw it in here anyway. One or two (and only one or two) of the multiplayer maps are not very well built for gameplay, in my opinion. If you buy the game, I personally would advise trying to avoid Wasteland, but maybe that's just me. For the most part, nearly all the maps are quite fun.



Neutral Comments:

This is a section where I'll mention just a few of the differences between Call of Duty 4 and Modern Warfare 2 that don't fall into pro or con in my opinion.



1) Death: Simply put, you die easier in Modern Warfare 2. Whether this is a move to reflect realism, a "consequence" of more advanced firearms, or just a change Infinity Ward happened to make, it is a reality. It took me an hour or so to get used to it, but it's just part of the game, and it's the same for everybody playing. I don't think this is a positive or negative change.



Multiplayer Overall Rankings:

Story: N/A

Action: 4.5 stars

Variety: 5 stars

Challenge: N/A (depends on other players)

Replay Value: 5 stars

Overall: 5 stars



Total Game Overall Rankings:

Story: 3.5 stars

Action: 4.8 stars

Variety: 5 stars

Challenge: 5 stars

Replay Value: 4.3 stars

Overall: 4.8 stars



Would I recommend this game to a friend?: YES Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Call Of Duty - Modern Warfare - Modern Warfare 2 - Video Games'

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Post-it - self-stick notes, post-it notes

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This morning the alarm went off as it usually does. I hit the snooze button and it didn't feel right, pulling my hand back, I noticed a bright blue flap of paper that said

"Good Morning Sweetheart, I love you." It had been laid on top of the clock radio with the sticky side up so it would stick to my hand.



I thought "That's sweet." Patted my sleeping wife on her back and went back to sleep.



I hit the snooze button twice more. Then at 6:40 knew I really had to get up and hit the off button.



And came back with a purple square. This one read "I hope you slept well."



Which was also very sweet. Then I went into to the bathroom and took my shower. When I got out of the shower and looked in the mirror there was another note. This time in green.

"Please make sure my shampoo is where I can reach it. The top of the shower is too high."



I took off the note, and moved the shampoo back down to a lower shelf my wife could reach without my help.



Then I got my toothbrush, and that had a note on it. Hot, shocking pink.

"You know, I wouldn't mind if we had onions when you take me out to dinner tonight."



Living room- television- pink again "We are not watching tv all evening again."



Coffee maker (green)- "I'd suggest either a casual picnic, or a very nice restaurant. Your choice."



Car keys (blue) - "Thank you for spontaneously planning a romantic evening out. I love you."



All this technology, text messaging, email, mobile phones with more power than a Cray, and nothing yet has ever truly replaced the Post-It. These are in great bright colors and black ink shows well on them with no bleed through. They are very sticky, and 390 will make sure you never forget the important things in life. They also make a good way to make sure that other people remember. Post-it Notes, Super Sticky Recycled Pad, 3 Inches x 3 Inches, Tropical Colors, 65 Sheets per Pad, Six Pads per Pack (654-6SST) - Self-stick Notes - Post-it Notes'

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Art Supplies - art supplies, crayola

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I bought Crayola pencils for my 5 and 8 year old children because I needed something for them to color with in the car that does not melt on the seats. Crayons just weren't cutting it. The pencils have been very nice to have around. The 12 count boxes have just the number of colors to satisfy their creative urge.



The tips are finer than a crayon, of course, so they must spend much more time coloring a picture. However, they also have more control, so the pictures come out looking lots neater.



My kids press hard on the tip to make their colors more bold, but the lead does not break. It's a pretty hard pencil.



Given the choice, my kids still prefer crayons, but they will use the pencils on occasion, or when we are out and the only thing available are the colored pencils. In time, I'm sure they will begin to favor the pencils. They are definitely my choice for car trips. Crayola Long Barrel Colored Woodcase Pencils, 3.3 mm, Assorted Colors, 12/Set (68-4012)

We've tried these and the rose-art brand and hands down, Crayola is the best. They last longer, don't crumble in the sharpener, and the colors are more vibrant. Plus, the kids don't have to press so hard to get a nice color from them. My husband even uses them to grade papers! Great product for every day household use as well. Only ones we buy now. Highly, highly recommend!

Did I get a bad batch? These pencils break constantly! Sometimes the tip breaks off after coloring for 30 seconds, and other times it breaks off right in the sharpener. I tried leaving just a teeny amount above the wood but anymore than that it just breaks off over and over. My kids 8 and 10 try to be careful, and I just can't understand why these pencils won't last longer. I bought Crayola for the name but we've sharpened away about half of them after just a few pictures. Very disappointing.

I purchased the Crayolas (along with the 24-color pack of Crayolas) over the Berol Prismacolor (to save some money) to color an Anatomy coloring book for school. Big mistake. The Crayolas are made of a harder substance and thus the colors do not easily glide onto the paper as is the case with Berols. This is important when you need to be precise in coloring small detail. Thus it took a lot longer to color a page, not mention the higher difficulty level and frustrations that accompany the coloring experience.



Now if the coloring objective is for small children's coloring books, then these Crayolas are fine for these needs. But if you're an adult or need to color something more sophisticated, go with the Berols! - Art Supplies - Crayola - Pencils'

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Cordless Drill - lithium-ion, drill

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This thing is a beast. Maybe I feel this way because I'm coming off a recently blown up Crapsman 18v drill that was sub par. However, I do have experience with the Panasonic 15.6v drill that has been arguably the best drill out there. I would easily put this up against the Panasonic anytime. Sure the Milwaukee is brand new and the Panasonic has been around for years so we'll see what the China-made Milwaukee will do long term. That said, it's lighter, shorter and more powerful than the Panasonic. Not by much, but it is. Even the charge time of the battery is quicker! I've always been a fan of Milwaukee's cases so there's another bonus over the Pany.

The previous reviewer complained about the placement of the forward/reverse switch but I don't agree. In my opinion, it's located just fine and very similarly to other cordless drills I've used (Craftsman, Panasonic and Porter Cable). If you're a homeowner and looking for a weekend project cordless drill, this may be too much for you, especially considering the cost. Being a contractor, this is EXACTLY what I was looking for. It's light, it's stout (not too long) and most importantly, it's POWERFUL. It is currently priced very competitively with the Pany. You can't lose with either! Milwaukee 2601-22 18-Volt Li-ion Compact Drill Kit

I was one of the unfortunate people to buy one of the Milwaukee Ni-cad 18 volt drills with their defective batteries and charger so I did hesitate when buying this drill. I have DeWalt drills and like their performance but have been turned off by the mickey mouse (apologies to Disney) drill cases they provide with some drills and sell as an after market item for $40 for the many pro level DeWalt drills that sell without any storage case at all.



The Milwaukee Li-ion batteries work well so far. I have yet to drop a drill and know that some of the early Li-ion batteries would explode when dropped so this is still an experimental tool for me in that respect. They seem to run cooler than the Ni-cads and I would expect longer life with more recharges possible.



The LEDs are great and it is nice to see they provide a belt hook. With the similarly priced Makita Li-ion drills this is something you have to order from customer service and pay an extra $15 (when Makita has them in stock or find one for sale on eBay and hope the seller is legit).



It has good torque and the keyless chuck works very well - better than a key chuck when cutting tough materials like plywood where there is often a lot of vibration. The Milwaukee chuck is much better than the one on the Makita Li-ion drill that sells in this price range, and which I also own and use.



I have even used the Milwaukee Li-ion drill to cut large 9-1/4" holes in wood paneling for Air Tec's MV air conditioning outlets using a Hole Pro X-305 adjustable hole cutter (also highly recommended!!!!). They are a great combination for a lot of projects.

I have been an electrician for over 20 years, and have seen and used alot of cordless drills in this time. I have either owned them or my employees have owned them (Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Hitachi, PC, Panasonic, Bosch). With that being said Milwaukee has been the best brand for me thus far. The Dewalts are junk and the rest of the drills are pretty good with the exception of the Panasonic being quite a bit above average. The reason why I don't keep the Panasonic is because I need other cordless tools eg: sawzall, circular saw. The Milwaukee V28 series is an absolute beast when it comes to power and WEIGHT! This is why I started looking for a compact drill. I still needed the power with a 1/2" chuck and lighter drill, because I also currently have the Bosch impactor, and pocket driver with jst a 1/4" chuck. I have owned the Milwaukee 18v cordless stuff in the past and was pleased with it, albeit not great - why I ended up getting the V28. With that being said I charged up the batteries and put it to the test. My first chore was to drill a 1/2" hole thru a metal tub using a variable step bit. What a huge disappointment this was! The drill hardly could get through it, it kept stopping with hardly any load on it, and I would check the battery level as it would show it completely drained. I would have to do this over and over again, because the battery can't take hardly any load on it (these batteries have an overheat protector on them so it shows you the led level is low when it does have a charge, once it cools down it will come back up to near the level it was at - which I suppose is a good thing). Next I went to put on some devices, and the drill actually did a decent job, nice and quick, and light. Then for my next test I needed to drill holes through some 2x's, with a 1 1/8" auger bit. Again what a disappointment, it sure wouldn't do it in high gear, and really struggled in low to get it done. The final test was to see how these batteries did in the cold. Now to be fair, no batteries that I have ever had, with the exception of the Milwaukee V28 have had some type of degradation due to the cold. This includes the new series of batteries too (Li-ion, Nimh, Nicd). Alas, these turned out to be the same as the rest. The Bosch li-ion batteries I have are absolutely terrible when it comes to the cold. So just like the rest of the batteries I have to put them by a halogen light to keep them warm so they can charge and still hold a charge. AAAAAGH this is the most frustrating thing for me, can't somebody please design a battery for us blue collar guys who actually use these in frigid temps. Anyway, I had high hopes for this compact, being that I am a loyal Milwaukee fan, and it was by far subpar.

Pros: lightweight, 1/2" chuck, nice case, bit holder, belt hook

Cons: Underpowered!, batteries, led light (not very bright, and does not shine where it needs to), made in China, non metal chuck.

I bought this tool on the strength of the Milwaukee name and I think it will be my last Milwaukee tool.



Bad side -- I bought this drill to rebuild my deck and the tool barely made it thru the project. I found it terribly underpowered and it drained batteries at an astounding pace. I was changing batteries every 15 minutes. Gutless...regardless of setting selected, it would bog down at the slightest resistance. drilling into Standard 2X4 studs gave it problems even with the battery fully charged



Good side -- it is very compact



I would not buy it again.



Update 19 April 10 -- I finally got rid of this thing after talking to Milwaukee Customer Service. They claim this is a home owner driver for hanging pictures and driving a few screws here and there. And if I want better battery life, they are telling me I need to upgrade to the larger battery size. What?!?! I don't know about you, but when I pay almost $200 bucks for a tool, that places it beyond the homeowner catagory for me. And I expect it ready to perform out of the box without paying for additional upgrades. I bought myself a Craftsman Professional 20 volt Lithium-Ion drill/driver kit. I cost the same and way better performace. battery life is awesome and it can handle the biggest jobs I have given it. - Milwaukee - Cordless - Drill - Lithium-ion'

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Marvel Universe Action Figures - deadpool, toys

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i got this figure for my son. he loves it. he goes to bed with it. when he puts it down i will grab it and fiddle with it. it is a very cool toy. very articulate. very cool to pose. if your kid or yourself plays with the toys still this one is cool to have in your toy box. Marvel Legends Exclusive Red Hulk Build-A-Figure Wave Action Figure Black Suit Spider-Man - Deadpool - Toys - Marvel Universe Action Figures - Collectible'

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Makita Batteries - cordless, cordless drill

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This is the best price anywhere to be found - essentially 2 batteries for the price of one. When my old batteries died, I couldn't stomach $80+ for one battery at the local Lowes, so I looked around, including the price of having my current ones "rebuilt". These are 2 new batteries, and the price is less than having my old ones rebuilt. The work great. Very satisfied. Makita 194157-8 1434 14.4-Volt 2-3/5-Amp Hour NiMH Pod Style Battery, 2-Pack

Makita 194157-8 1434 14.4-Volt 2.6 Amp Hour NiMH Pod Style Battery, 2 Pack

I purchased the makita 14.4 impact driver kit with two batteries 3years ago. With only modest intermittment use, one of the batteries failed. In May 2008 I purchased the two pack. Again after only moderate use one of the new batteries failed. I like the power and performance of the unit and the batteries(when they are working) but was very disappointed in the battery life on 2 of the 4 batteries. But rather than buy new equipment, I am buying another 2 pack from Amazon as their price and service is very good.

The product came within a week. The batteries are new, in original packaging. I charged them and have been using them with no indications that they will not perform like the original batteries. So far this has been a great find.

I bought these to replace my stock batteries that came with my drill/driver kit. They don't hold a charge nearly as long as the original ones did. Maybe I got a bum package but it is too late to return as I used the heck out of them for a job I needed them for. At least they were cheap. If I hadn't labeled them, I probably wouldn't be able to tell which were the old worn out batteries and which were the new ones.

FIRST, IT PERFORMED WELL. ONCE FULLY CHARGED IT LASTED LONGER THAN I EXPECTED, AND AFTER TWO WEEKS OF NOT USING IT, IT DRAINED ALMOST NONE.SECOND THE PRICE, IS UNBELIEVABLY CHEAPER IN A TWO PACK. SOME CHARGED ALMOST THE SAME PRICE FOR A SINGLE BATTERY THAN AMAZON FOR TWO PACK. IN ALL I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THE PRODUCT

My second pair of batteries had come to the end of their useful lives after about three years, so I bought a replacement pair from Amazon.com. The batteries did not seem to have as much power after fully charged. (My crude test for the power is to grab the drill chuck wearing leather glove and see if I succeed at making the drill not being able to turn with the trigger slowly pulled all the way in. Be careful though, as the spinning chuck held tight will heat up the leather very quickly if you are not able to keep the chuck still.) I was able to stop the chuck from turning without having to grab the chuck with all might. After about three cycles of full discharge/charge, the batteries stopped holding enough power to drive more than two two and half inch screws into fir. Amazon.com sent me a replacement set and this set is not as strong as my first two pairs, but better than the first from Amazon.com. I have not used the batteries yet, but I feel that the quality control might be the culprit here. - Cordless Drill - Makita Batteries - Battery Packs - Cordless'

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Blackberry Bold - blackberry bold, 9700

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This case is worth every penny you will spend on it. It does fit the Blackberry 9700 just like a glove. It is not bulky and it still allows you to carry your phone in the leather blackberry case that it came with. OtterBox Commuter Case for BlackBerry Bold 9700

I've been pretty satisfied with the Otter Box Blackberry case. I've had other cases that snap together, but they always seem to break after a drop. This case fits around the Blackberry and has survived all of my drops. I was most concerned about the rubber/hard plastic combination of the Otter Box and how well it would slide in and out of my pocket. So far, I haven't had any issues. Overall it seems to be a pretty good case for my Blackberry 9700.

I really like this case. It feels great in your hand and have great protection for your phone. Most important of all, it doesn't make your phone look much bigger. This is my second Otterbox case. I think they made lots of improvement already.

I can't say greater things about the Otterbox Commuter Case then what has already been said in other reviews. The one thing we were all missing is a holster. I can carry my iPhone in my pocket, but for some reason, I need a holster with Blackberrys =). Another reviewer (thanks Troy - crackberry_com) had mentioned that the Otterbox Commuter Case worked well with the Seidio Innocase Lock Holster for BlackBerry Bold 9700. I can confirm these statements. It's almost as the Seidio Innocase Lock Holster for BlackBerry Bold 9700 was designed with the Otterbox Commuter Case in mind. It fits perfectly.



With both the Otterbox Commuter Case and the Seidio Innocase Lock Holster for BlackBerry Bold 9700, I can access my mini-usb for charging, my headphone jack, volume rocker, my "special" buttons on the left and right and the lock and stand-by button at the top. Plus with the Otterbox Commuter Case, I can record video and takes pictures. The locking mech. works great with the case too. Nothing but good things to say about this combo.



UPDATE:

So, I've been using this setup now for like 2.5 months and it rocks. I still stand behind my purchase and review. I also read bad review for the screen protector not fitting right or not working right because of how the 9700's screen kinda drops at the sides but, I took my time and put it on and it looks great still, no air bubbles, nothing. Maybe they updated their screen protector when I purchase MARCH 2010 who know. But so far so good. The Bold 9700 also has not disappointed and I'm loving that tether app.



UPDATE: It now been 8 months as of 11/27/10 and can't complain. Otterbox Case and Seidio Holster combo still working nicely together. I've had no issue with either.

Let me start off by saying that the case fits really well on the phone. I took a few leaps of faith and dropped the phone a couple of times from about 3 feet to test it, and the case holds up pretty well. No complaints at all about the protection that it provides. A few people here were commenting about the quality of the screen protector, but I happen to love it. If you're careful enough then it will fit perfectly with very little to no air bubbles. The case even looks great on the phone. In my opinion it grips really well to your hand when you're using the phone. Even though the shell is hard plastic, I never had any problems with the phone slipping from my hands while I was holding it.

My only gripe is that although this case is indeed slimmer than the vast majority of protection cases, it wasn't as slim as I was hoping it would be. One of the reasons I purchased the case to begin with was based on one of the reviews listed here in regards to the phone fitting inside the leather case that comes with the Blackberry Bold 9700. Although the phone with the Otterbox case does fit inside the leather case, it is a far from ideal fit in my opinion. The magnetic clips on the leather case hardly stick together when using this case, and it fits too tightly in the case. When you see it in the case it becomes apparent that the nylon sides of the leather blackberry case will stretch over time, making it problematic to use in the future should you decide to no longer use this case. Looks like I won't be using my leather case after all.

Although it won't fit securely in your leather case, the Otterbox Commuter case with the phone should fit inside your pants pocket just fine (depending on how your pants fit to begin with; I personally wear boot cut or loose fit when it comes to jeans and the phone w/case fits fine in my front pocket). All in all, I would say 4.5 stars. It might be asking a bit much, but the fact that it didn't fit inside my leather case was a bit of a letdown for me.

I have had my otterbox commuter case for about a month now and it has proven to be exactly what I was looking for. It offers great shock and scratch protection on the back and sides thanks to the dual layer system. This dual layer arrangement also makes it much easier to slide the blackberry into and out of one's pocket, which is something that cannot be said about a single layer silicone sleeve (I had one on my previous blackberry so trust me when I say it is a pain to deal with).



Otterbox does include a screen protector as well. I had already purchased one by ZAGG prior to purchasing my case so I cannot offer any comment there.



Overall I am extremely happy with my choice. This was my first otterbox purchase, and I am sure it will not be my last.

The actual Otter Box case that surrounds the phone is great! I took out the clear keyboard screen cover because it makes typing a little difficult and holds in alot of dirt and moisture that slips passed the track pad opening. But the hardcase surrounded by the rubber impact case works for accidental drops and even survived being run over my a full size Front End Loader in a dirt pile.



My only complaint is that the Otter Box holster does not hold the phone well if you are on the move or running. If the phone gets bumped and slips from the side clamps, it is going to fall out...hence the Front End Loader running it over. I have almost lost the phone 3 times because it slipped from the holster without me even knowing it! My kids come up and give me a hug, and the phone usually ends up on the ground.



Overall, I love the case, but wish the holster had some sort of strap or device to keep it from slipping out of the holster so easily. - 9700 - Case - Bold 9700 - Blackberry Bold'

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Mp3 Player - mp3 player, music

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Pros:

-typical 3.5mm male to 3.5mm female cable splitter

-fit any normal headphone or auxiliary port

-slimmer style male port so it would fit into my iPod with it's case on (BONUS!)

-cable lengths are about 5-6" so its a good length, not too long, but not too short

-cables are also nice and sturdy so they will not be damaged very easily. Highly durable

-the connections are solid, no static at all, and the male audio ports plug into the female ports easily and will not slip out.



Cons:

-(I ran into this problem only on one occasion): The splitter may reduce the volume to half it's maximum output. I split my TV into two different sets of surround sound to test the output quality and it only delivered half the volume it was supposed to to each of the surround sound systems. This only occurred on one occasion which is why it was 4 stars instead of five. You may run into this problem, but like I said, it has only happened once, and I ordered a large number of these splitters.



Overall:



I would rate this 5 stars out of 5 if it wasn't for the one instance of lowered volume. Otherwise, this is an exceptional product. I have tried many different splitters for my needs and this one has lasted the longest, and performed the greatest overall. For the cheap price, it outperformed any high priced guaranteed splitter out there! If you need a quick split, or just want to have it for any need, I would recommend this product! Belkin F8Z359tt06INCHP Y Adapter; Mini Stereo Plug

I bought this device to split the audio output on my computer so I could run 2 sets of speakers in 2 different rooms. This worked perfectly and was an inexpensive solution. This adapter does give full stereo sound on both sets of speakers. (Some don't)

I agree with the other reviewer - I got this splitter for under $3 and it does the job. My two pair of earphones fit securely and the splitter fit snugly into my media player. No decrease in sound quality from when I used the earphones directly to when I used the splitter. I didn't notice a drop in volume either. Simple product that works great - no need to pay more for this type of device unless you need one with volume control. This one suited my needs perfectly. - Music - Iphone - Ipod - Mp3 Player'

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Shoot Digital Cameras - photography, digital

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I received this camera for Christmas from my Husband. For a one size fits all digital camera you will be hard pressed to find something better. The 24x zoom and full HD video makes this a perfect family camera. The burst feature which takes 11 fps at 14.1 mp is great for taking pictures of kids who don't always cooperate. Much has been made about about the similarities to the Panasonic FMZ 100. Volkswagen makes some cars that are similar to their Audi brethren, but it doesn't make them a Audi. The V Lux 2 his upgraded software, expanded iSO settings and much better better appearance. I would recommend this camera for amateur photographers looking one catchall camera. If you don't need the zoom and want a smaller camera iI would recommend the D Lux 5. Leica V-Lux2 Super Zoom Digital Camera with 14.1 Megapixels CMOS Sensor, 24x Optical Zoom, 1080i AVCHD Full HD Video Recording (18393)

I too bought a V-Lux 2 recently, largely based on the reputation of Leica and sales rep advice. The camera is light, portable and easy to use. Excellent multi-use digital camera. It has a lot of good user functions, including manual mode, creates RAW files, fast burst mode (up to 60 fps in with jpegs). The 25-600 zoom lens provides great versatility. Daylight pictures are sharp and good quality. A good step up from instamatic type point and shoot.



However, I am not at all impressed with the depth of field (max f8), nor it's ability to focus in zoom mode or with moving targets (autofocus lock does work ok, not great), very difficult to get sharp, in-focus pics. Low light or narrow spectrum lighting situations (sports, ice rink type lighting) are low quality. ISO speeds beyond iso 200 are grainy and muddy.



I'd give it 4 stars for usability and versatility, but 2 stars for image quality, especially at higher isos, low light and moving targets.



Update: notice that similarly priced cameras (bodies only, in the $600-$1,000 range) have pixel densities (See DPReview.com) in the 2.5 to 5 MP/cm^2. Higher end cameras have pixel densities in 1-2 MP/CM^2 range. the Leica V-Lux 2 pixel density is 50 MP/cm^2!!! - therein lies the difference.

I just got this camera and I love it. It is very fast when you want to take pictures quickly (turn off the picture review), and it saves even 12meg pix with very little lag. The photos are clear and crisp with no noise. Its light and easy enough to use, altho there are perhaps too many options for me to choose from, and that gets confusing fairly quickly. While the basic choices are the same as most cameras, the further you go into the feature set the more you can do.



However, I'm very impressed by many of the features. I finally got a great series of my cat running flat out across a field in burst mode. The zoom is easy to use and maintains focus the whole way. I haven't tried the camcorder or the slow motion (220 fps) yet, but I expect they'll be as good as the rest.



I agree with another reviewer who said that the its not a Volkswagen but an Audi...this is a Leica and they have some of the best optics around. If your purpose is too save money buy the Panasonic. If you want the quality of a Leica then buy this one.



About the price: I bought this at Amazon for $849. They now have a price of $1399. I'd check on that before buying.

This is a great little camera. The pictures are sharp with good color. The camera operates fast and does not make you wait. It has good manual controls and a flash hotshoe so you will not outgrow it any time soon.



Why then only three stars? Because it is just a Panasonic DMC-FZ100, rebadged and jacked up to twice the price. Panasonic engineer and build a great camera and sell it to Leica, who resell it for a fantastic margin. This is a very smart move for Leica. There is no possible way for them to compete against the Japanese giants in the compact camera world. When Leica does their own engineering, they produce products that are woefully slow in operation, with such creations as the $7000 18 mpix M9 which does 2 fps burst and 0.3 fps thereafter. Panasonic meanwhile provides them with a 14 mpix model with 11 fps burst. These are obviously not the products of the same engineering organization.



What I wonder with this camera is who exactly it is supposed to impress. Most people do not have any idea who Leica is these days. And of those who do, I think most are quite well aware that the cheap Leicas have been rebadged Panasonics for many years. But I suppose there is some tiny slice of the market that will be fooled.

This is my second Leica camera, I have a Dlux 4. I don't know if I can be naif in saying that the pictures that I have taken with this camera are amazing. I know that many people would say, why didn't you buy the panasonic FZ100? Well, that was my first choice, but living in a country where the price of these cameras are prohibitive, I had to buy in a trip abroad. The camera shop didn't have the panasonic then, I thought it was a good chance to buy a Leica, so I did it!! At first I thought it was a silly buy!!! But the camera is something. I had some good experience and excellent results with the DLUX 4 and the VLUX 2 is much greater. I think that one of the problems with this german product is that we don't see much of them around so we don't have a clue if it is worth the investment, but it is for sure!!! The quality of this camera is singular in its kind! The superzoom cameras that compete with this camera do not seem to be as good. Let's say that we are buying a German product with a Japanese high quality standards!!

I am not a professional photographer but the results in B&W with this camera I have never seem nothing similar. It seems that Leica has a kind of DNA for B&W photographs that you only can achieve with a Leica. I tell you, one day, If I could afford to buy a M9 with lens, I will!!!! That's a dream....Maybe at the time it will be a M100!!! who knows - Photography - Point - Digital - Leica'

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boat cover - boat cover

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this is so great i love it. i bought it in the middle of summer and it sat in the box till the i took the boat out of the watter for winter storage. i was worried it could be cheap cover.

when i opened it i was shocked by the way it was manufactured.

great matrial, lots of long straps. just great Trailerable Waterproof Boat Cover size 19' to 22' Long and 100" Wide

I really was excite about this product ,,but when I recieved it and used it as instructed, it did not hold up against rain and winds,, which means I got what I paid for and now have to purchase something else ,, ultimately disappointed with this product - Boat Cover'

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Lithium Battery - cordless string trimmer, weed eater

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I bought the WorxGT 151i string trimmer for two reasons: (1) I got completely fed up with my existing gas/oil 2-cycle string trimmer. It always seems to ooze the gas/oil mixture which invariably got on my shirt. It was occasionally difficult to start,. It required me to bump the trimmer on a hard surface to advance the line which was always an issue when trimming along the fence line in my backyard as I had to go back to the patio to tap it. My 2-cycle trimmer is a well-known, highly rated brand and all of these issues are common to 2-cycle machines. And (2) I wanted a greener solution to string trimming. My existing 2-cycle trimmer put out a lot of exhaust smoke into the air which I was never happy about, particularly in terms of not wanting to breathe it.

The WorxGT solved all of these issues. It is relatively green by using a Lithium Ion battery for power. To advance the line you only need turn the machine off and back on and the line advances automatically to the correct length. No more spools to wind either. When the spool runs out you merely put in a new one (about $1 each from the WorkGT website). Is the WorxGT as powerful as my 2-cycle trimmer...no, but it is more than adequate to meet my trimming needs. It has many good features, including a guard you can use to run the trimmer along fences or flowerbeds to protect them from damage. It's very lightweight and easy to hold and use. The trimming head has a number of positions available for whatever angle you need. The handle is also adjustable as is the length of the machine. It performs nicely as an edger too. Just tilt the head 90 degrees and roll it along the built-in wheels. I used it in the edger mode to sharpen up the edges on my mulch beds and it did a nice job.

Is the WorkGT capable of being used by commercial landscapers every day? No, not in my opinion. Though well-made it probably is not made for such heavy use. Nor is it good for anyone who needs to string trim large thick grassy areas that haven't been mowed in months. But I am very satisfied with it and I think it is a great option for the average homeowner. My property is about 1/3 of an acre and the lithium ion battery has plenty of life on a single charge to handle that size. So far I have used the trimmer three times after the initial charge without recharging it and it is still going strong (just wanted to see how long it would last on a single charge). WORX GT WG151 18-Volt Cordless Electric Lithium-Ion String Trimmer/Edger

I purchased this to replace a 5 year old B&D cordless string trimmer. I have been impressed by the built quality of this unit compared to the B&D. It is light weight however it is built with quality materials. It has plenty of power and the power does not degrade quickly like the B&D. Since this unit uses lithium batteries, the power is consistent from beginning to end. The items that I did not like about this trimmer is that it is only 10" compared to 12"-14" found on most cordless trimmers and the spool is small. The spool will need to be replaced frequently since it is a less than 1/2 the size of a standard spool string container. The string that this unit uses is of highly quality and is textured which does cut through grass and weeds easily. Even though it is only 10", the quality of the string and power provided by the motor makes up for it only being 10". B&D did recently release a lithium powered trimmer. I was able to check out the B&D trimmer at my local hardware store however the quality construction and ergonomics of the Worx is superior to the B&D lithium trimmer. On the down side of having the Worx instead of the B&D is that replacement spools will need to be ordered online since no one that I know in my area carries them. B&D lithium trimmer uses the spool string as the non-lithium model that is easy to find. One thing I do want to point out about the B&D lithium trimmer is that the string is very thin and wears out quickly. It does not have the same cutting power as the Worx string.

First off I want to say I do like the engineering of this trimmer, that is why I bought it. I am however concerned that the lithium battery or the battery charger may have a problem. I also think that the instructions that come with the product are inadequate so I have no reference for how long the battery should last. I just know that my previous electric trimmer that did not have a lithium battery lasted longer than this one before running out of power.



I have only had the opportunity to use the trimmer three times and two of the three times the battery has worn out before I have finished my lawn, and I don't have a very big lawn. I'm talking the trimmer shutting down after approximately 5 min of use. Maybe something else is going on, not sure yet, so I'm reserving judgment until I have used it a half dozen times. If I continue to have the problem, it will be interesting to see how the WORX customer service (and Amazon as well) responds to my issue.



If I did not have this battery concern, I would rate the product at 4 stars. I could not give it a 5 star rating as I think it is a bit expensive.



thx, jp

I bought the WorxGT for trimming my garden and edging the sidewalk. This is my one-month review, and I encourage you to read it completely. I think you'll agree with my 2-Star rating by the end. Here we go...



The claim: Long battery life, enough to go around an outdoor running track THREE times (that is 1320 yards if you do the calculation)!!!



The truth: This is a lie. I live on a corner lot and there-and-back, this is about 400 yards. On a 24-hour charge, this machine has trouble making it there and back. This cannot POSSIBLY last 1320 yards. Under ideal circumstances, expect no more than 600 yards at the very most. I guess if you buy an additional battery, though, it would come close.



The claim: Cuts through anything you have on your lawn!!!



The truth: This is a lie, unless all you have is thin blade grass that is not in clumps. The WorxGT had no luck with crabgrass or clumps of thick grass. Anything that is difficult to pull by hand, the WorxGT will not be able to handle. Trust me, it just won't. You'll need a gas-powered trimmer for that in my experience. I am impressed, however, with how it does edges where the grass is relatively thin. There it works as advertised.



The claim: This is entirely bumpless, so no more hassles with line feeding!!!



The truth: This is true, but there's a CATCH. There is a little metal guide underneath that, when the line is longer than 4.5 inches, it cuts it down to length. The problem is that when the line gets shorter (as it does whenever it hits something hard and gets cut down to a smaller size), it does NOT feed any more line out. Every 30 seconds, I have to stop, turn it over, and press a button (yes my dear readers, there is a BUTTON on the side of the spool specifically designed for you to push) to feed out any line. I have to stop, push the button about 3-4 times, and it is about 4" again. Then, as soon as I start using it, I notice immediately it stops cutting edges, or reaching down into the space (gutter) between the sidewalk and grass, because with the line constantly about 1-2", it just isn't long enough to cut anything. So, back over it goes, push the button, turn it back over, edge/trim for 30 seconds, lather, rinse, repeat. I think you get the idea. To say this is bumpless is a joke. It is no such thing. Autofeed means YOU feed it every 1 minute. If you don't mind doing that, then this is the one for you. And this isn't just an idiosyncrasy of my use. It is DESIGNED that way, which is why the BUTTON is there! Why else would they include a button if they did not intend for the user to push it???



I have attempted every day for two weeks to get their comment on this matter through their website query line, and I have not received a response. Not very encouraging.



The claim: It has wheels which make lawn edging a snap to roll along the sidewalk!!!



The truth: This is TRUE. The wheels make it super easy to guide it along the edge of the lawn. Of course, I'm turning it over so often to advance the line with the button, it really doesn't matter much that it has wheels. But it is true, when the line is fully deployed (after pushing that dreaded button four times), it does cut through thin grass as the wheels guide it merrily on its way along the sidewalk.



The claim: Their braided cutting line is far superior to standard line!!!



The truth: This is a lie. Regular blue 0.065" trimmer line from Lowe's works exactly the same. I WISH it were true, but it is not. In fact, I think the braided line is a BAD thing, as it makes feeding line out more difficult than necessary.



The claim: It flips from edger to trimmer with just the simple touch of your foot!!!



The truth: This is a lie. If you try to flip positions by holding the head steady with your foot (as they do in their video) and pull/pushing the handle, I can guarantee you will break off the plastic edge guard. The fact is, there is no place to even PUT your foot to accomplish this task. Rather, you have to flip it over and move the head position with your hands. I tried every conceivable way to flip it back and forth, and every time I used my foot, it came close to breaking. As in, a part was about to literally break off. No kidding. I would NOT advise you try at home what they do on their infomercial. Of course, since you only have to switch it once per session (I do my edging then trimming) this is not a big deal, but it IS a misrepresentation of the facts (and physics for that matter) to say it is easy to do with your foot.



The claim: Free spools for life!!!



The truth: This is a lie. There is shipping and handling of about $6. If FREE means "without cost", then this is not true. As in, "gotcha".



The claim: It telescopes in/out to find the most comfortable length for any user!!!



The truth: This is a lie. It telescopes, but not very much. I'm about 5'10" and with the WorxGT fully extended, I still have to bend a bit, making it uncomfortable to use over extended periods of time.



The claim: The Lithium battery maintains peak power, with no power drop off until it is used up!!!



The truth: This is TRUE, but that is a property of ALL lithium batteries. They maintain peak power supply until they run out of juice. So, as long as the battery is powered up, the WorxGT spins and cuts the same in the first as the last minute. But when it is OUT of juice, POOF!! It just stops. This is to be expected. Lithium batteries are far better than NiCad, which slowly peter out until they die. That's why I hate NiCads and love lithiums.



The claim: This is the very best edger/trimmer you'll ever buy!!!



The truth: This is a lie. My neighbor has an electric one that is much more powerful and cuts a much better edge. But since I live on a corner, I can't run it off a plug unless I have about 300 feet of power cord, and I'm not going to bother with that. But this claim is so out of line it's quite remarkable the FTC has not fined them for actually putting it in their advertisements (TV and print).



I wish the guy who does the infomercial could come to my house so I can steal his, because he obviously has a supercharged one. Or, more likely, somebody off camera is changing his batteries out and pushing the darned button to feed more line like a mouse pushes the lever for cheese to pop out of the chute in a lonely metal cage.



I give this 2 stars ONLY because it does a decent job on lawn edging with the wheels. Otherwise, I feel this product is GROSSLY misrepresented in all their ads, and I really hope the FTC looks into this product more closely.



If you buy it, be prepared to get carpal tunnel syndrome from pushing the line feed button so often. And when I write OFTEN, I mean it.



Good luck, and write me with questions. - Weed Eater - Edger - Cordless String Trimmer - Trimmer'

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