Yoga For Runners - yoga dvd, beginning yoga

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I have many yoga DVDs and this one is definitely one of my favorites. I have lot of pet peeves when it comes to yoga DVDs:



1) Many DVDs assume you can see the screen when you're in down dog or in a twist and the verbal instructions are so vague you have to come out of the pose to see what we're doing next. This one is extremely clear in its instructions: this pose is next, and this is how we do it, leg goes here arms goes there.



2) Lack of flow in the workout(s). Some DVDs are pose by pose, getting you out of the 'zone' with every pose change (Yoga For Inflexible People and Yoga to the Rescue - Feel Good from Head to Toe come to mind). Some are all over the place with their flows: standing, lying down, back up to standing, etc. This DVD has a great flow no matter what workout you do (it has little transitional snippets if the end of previous module doesn't match the start of the next one, a little odd at first but I quickly got used to them). It goes from standing to kneeling/down dogs/lunges to balancing to seated to lying down, and no funny business.



3) Many famous yoga instructors have no memory of what it is like to be stiff and inflexible. There is no chance on earth you can do the pose like they do it, but they can't conceive of giving you some workable pointers on what you can realistically expect the pose to look or feel like. Sometimes they have some models in the back pretending to be inflexible, but that still doesn't look like anything you and I do. This instructor is not really Gumby herself. I think she started out like most regular people and has won what flexibility she has through hard work. She sure has lots and lots of tips on how to modify your poses. Even better, the two models on the DVD are regular people: they are not young, beautiful or flexible and when I can't do what the instructor does, I can for sure do what the middle aged guy in the back does!



The structure of this DVD:



1) Important information for anyone doing yoga with instructions on how to find your 'edge' to prevent injuries, how to breathe during the workouts, how to stretch efficiently. This is not standard information on most yoga DVDs, but after listening to this I think it should be! This is the stuff that makes a difference. It is a voice over over slo-mo images from the rest of the DVD so you're not just watching a talking head.



2) Pose breakdowns with modifications. Very thorough, very well explained instructions on how to do most of the poses in the flows. Not only about how, but also WHY to do a pose this way. Marleen and the models (4 this time) show the wrong way to do it, the right way to do it and how you can use blankets and pillows, chairs and belts to make the pose more accessible if needed. I also like the frequent pointers on how to do the pose safely when you have back problems (like 80% of us Americans apparently do).



3) The workouts. These consist of about an hour and a half total of different poses, cut to make 8 workouts of different lengths. Each module is shot in a different configuration, (probably to show different angles for certain sets of poses) so it jumps around a bit when going from one module to the next which is a bit strange at first but works for me. They range from about 30 minutes to 90 minutes. I love the workouts. Like I mentioned, the flow is good and allows you to get in the zone so that 50 minutes fly by! As the title implies these workouts are really good for the hips and the legs. The whole lower body feels strong and supple when I'm done. I also really like that there is an actual final relaxation after each workout (many DVDs lack this!). And it even varies in length! After a short workout there is a a few minutes relaxation and it gets progressively longer. The 90 minute one has about 15 minutes of relaxation.



So what are the draw backs?



It isn't actually filmed at the beach, as you might think from looking at the cover. It is obviously a more low budget production than that. So if you mainly want to sit and gaze at beautiful people doing beautiful things with their beautiful bodies in a beautiful landscape, this DVD isn't for you. If you want to actually do accessible yoga, it is.



The sound quality isn't great. The instructor also has a slight accent, but she has a pleasant voice.



All in all a great DVD that may be a bit hard for beginners at first while they're developing strength and flexibility, but both should develop rapidly if they stick with this.



I'd like to see Marleen Stam-Gibbs do a DVD for the upper body as well. Yoga For Beginners : The Essential Beginner Yoga Guide For Runners, Walkers & Desk Jockeys

I have been suffering with lower back pain for quite a while primarily due to my job. I sit at a desk, hunched over staring close at my computer screen, naturally this has taken a toll on my posture as well.



Someone recommended trying yoga to help alleviate some of these problems. I researched a few of the available titles and stumbled across this DVD.



Like anyone else that has had problems with pain or inflexibility for a while, I was a little skeptical. But I honestly have to say that I do feel better physically which has in turn helped my general mood during the workday. I was told that positive side-effects of yoga are an improved physical and mental state, I would have to agree at this point.



I was pleased that the poses and techniques were geared for people like me who have never tried anything like this ever before. I really liked how this video features a section where each pose they cover is clearly demonstrated step-by-step.



The pose breakdown section in this DVD was extremely helpful because a friend told me her experience with some videos were that they start right out of the gate throwing poses and terms at you "downward dog, warrior etc, etc". To someone who has never attempted yoga in their life, this can be a frustrating way to start.



The video had multiple workout lengths that you can choose from depending on how much time you had to devote on any particular day. It also had a nice section showing me techniques I can use while I am in the office.



I am now a believer in the positive effects of yoga. If you are brand new to yoga and looking for a great way to start, I would recommend this DVD. - Beginning Yoga - Exercise - Yoga For Runners - Yoga Dvd'

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Home Improvement Emergency Preparedness - brad nailers, brad nails

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I was sceptical on the purchase of a brad nailer for only 29.00 but must admit that the product quality and capabilities are well worth the price... I had been shopping for a nailer for quite some time but didn't want to spend close to $100.00 for a tool that would only see occassional use at most... weekend projects and home repairs from time to time.. I used a neighbors 16 guage Stanley nailer before and found it adequate for my needs but too costly for my wallet... Then I deceided to give the Grizzly a try.... 29.00 is more my price range... What a pleasent surprise, The Grizzly nailer is just as functional as the Stanley... How can they make one for just 29.00 and keep pace with the other brands... Well all other brands are so price inflated that's how.. Grizzly isn't makeing any money on this item but they are making a name for themselves with this fine nailer... Excellent nailer for hobbiest and furniture maker... Have found Craftsman nails and off brand nails all work in it.... Hope this review helps.. Grizzly H5527 18 Gauge Brad Nailer Kit

A woodworking buddy of mine bought this brad nailer and this weekend I had a chance to put it through its paces while helping him on a project. I can easily attest that this nailer is not only worth the price, but I would venture to say it is an out and out good tool. I was as skeptical as everyone is about this tool, but honestly it performs as well as my own brad nailer (which I paid twice as much for). I was also very surprised at how little the tip marred the workpiece. Even though it does not have a padded tip, there was not much more marring on pine than I see from my padded-tip nailer. There were no power or nail feeding issues, all of the fasteners were driven home, the exhaust is directional, and the tool just felt like it was in a higher class than its pricetag would indicate. I have no idea why some reviewers have had such problems when the one I used was so good - maybe there are some quality control issues... In any event, based on my test I would rate this as a good tool at a great price.

I didnt hold out much hope of a quality product. However when the package came I was most suprised that this tool is worth far more than the $30 I paid for it. It is rugged and well designed with plenty of power and features to get the job done. No reason to pass this up.

Ive had limited use of this product as of yet, but my initial impressions....for the price, there is no reason not to buy it.. it is solidly built, comes with oil, wrenches, case, well written manual and already has the fitting on the nailer. Feels very well put together.as far as performance.. so far having run about 200 1 5/8" brads and 200 2" brads into 3/4" mdf... it does occasionally misfire or not drive naisl all the way in, but rarely enough so as not to be annoying. the switch is a little screwy at times, but is easy to pop back..if you are looking for a cheap or starter nailer, this thing is perfect.. for any repetitive or long term use, i would go ahead and get a porter cable or dewalt model

My husband replaced the moldings on 10 windows in the house as well as built 4 bird houses. He had no, I emphasize No Problems with the nailer. He has used 3 sizes of nails so far with it, 5/8, 1 3/4 and 2 inch. It is light weight and easy to handle and change nail sizes. No problem with it double hitting. He had to keep the air pressure at 70 lbs. or higher.

[UPDATE 7-31-09: About a year and a half now and no problems whatsoever. Just finished my daughters chest of drawers and the gun never missed a nail. No air leaks, no miss-fires. This is a great gun.]



[UPDATE 8-8-08: Gun in use for more than 4 months now with no problems what so ever. Certainly has been a great value!]



It's only $30. Can't be that good can it? I mean, how can you compare it to a major brand like a DeWalt or a Hitachi? I have used em all, and I can compare it very well thank you. After using this gun for only a few days I can tell you that while this may be my first Grizzly tool, it will certainly not be my last.



Basically, this review can be summed up in two short sentences: This gun is green. This gun works.



First this is not a Paslode or DeWalt. There is no fancy contoured grip, selective trigger, padded tip, or variable depth adjustment. No frills, no bells, no whistles. No big price tag. The Grizzly is a basic tool that does the basic job, period. Just bangs nails in wood. Flawlessly. All day long. For 30 bucks. If you just gotta have a contoured grip, look elsewhere.



So, what is good about the gun?



It is light weight. Very nice at the end of the day.



The tip is metal, but doesn't appear to mar any worse than the plastic non-marring tips on more expensive guns. If you push too hard, they all make a dent.



The grip is simply a vinyl sleeve around the aluminum housing. Nothing fancy. But easy enough to hold onto.



The nail rack is released by pressing a spring loaded latch just like other guns. But it is a two handed job to reload. It takes both hands to latch the rack back into place. No big deal.



The exhaust is adjustable. Just like on the expensive guns. So if you are feeling inadequate by not having all the fancy stuff, you can make a big show of adjusting the exhaust to blow blasts of air all over your coworkers when the opportunity arises.



You need to adjust the operating pressure at the compressor to adjust the nailing depth. This gun will slightly countersink 2 inch brads through bead-board into construction grade pine at about 65lbs, and can be set as high as 90lbs before you notice they are getting too deep. Not as convenient as having a depth adjustment on the gun but once you get set you will not need to make further adjustments unless you change nails or material.



So should you get a Grizzly instead of a more expensive gun? It depends on your budget and what you want to do with the gun. If you spend every day with your gun, then things like a padded grip and depth adjustment may be worth more money. If you can afford it. However, if you are on a budget and need a good gun to keep you in beans and cornbread, there is no doubt in my mind that this gun will hang with the big boys for a while, no problem. If you are a hobby type carpenter or do-it-yourselfer then you will be hard-pressed to find a better deal than this gun.



I haven't used the Grizzly for very long and can't speak to the longevity, but the reason I tried this one is one of the guys I am working with has had two Grizzly nailers for over a year and they are still going strong. So far I have had no problems at all. No jams, no miss-fires. Five years from now who knows.



Downsides? Nothing critical. The case is cheap, but it will keep the gun clean while it bangs around in the tool chest. And the included oil bottle and goggles are really worthless. Throw the oil bottle away and get one that doesn't leak. Give the safety goggles to your grandkids to play with and get yourself something better. I mean you only spent $30 bucks on the gun, you can afford a $5 pair of safety glasses. Oh, yeah. Take out the hose connector fitting and wrap the threads with Teflon tape before you use it. That will keep it from hissing while you work. The gun will dry fire, but I haven't found that to be a big problem. My older DeWalt does that also.



So it isn't perfect. And for looks it certainly cannot compare to the neon racing stripe looks of a Hitachi. But just remember that you are shooting the same nails with your $30 gun that your buddy is shooting with his $90 Hitachi. That makes this a 5 star gun any day! Buy it, try it, then decide. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised at what your $30 can buy. - Grizzly - Brad Nailers - Dont Waste Your Time - Brad Nails'

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New York Yankees

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Really nice soft, "weathered" shirt. The quality is as good as any and I love how it has a vintage look with the slightly faded NY symbol. A great understated way to cheer on the greatest team in baseball! Go Yankees!!! MLB New York Yankees Adult Short Sleeve Pigment Dye Tee (Road Gray, X-Large)'

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Sharpening

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The Worksharp 2000 is a very good tool; easy to use and flexible in its use. However, the knife sharpener is worthless. It does sharpen knives, but the small sandpaper belts are very quickly used up. I sharpened 9 knives and a cleaver and that was it. The sandpaper belts were worn out. The belts are unique to this tool; thus, one cannot use another kind of belt.



The bad part is the knives ended up very sharp. So it sharpens the knives well enough, but one hates to replace the belts each time 10 or so knives are sharpened. The honing belt is the most important because it will be used the most. After the knives are sharpened the first time the course belt does not have to be used again (or at least for awhile), but the honing belt (the finest grit) has to be used every time; thus, that belt has to be replaced each time 10 or so knives are sharpened. Not good.



Also, replacing the belts isn't as easy as it looks. And, each belt had to be re-tensioned so it would run correctly. Kind of a pain.



I cannot recommend this product, but I can recommend the Worksharp 2000 as it works very well.



AD2 Work Sharp WSSA0002009 Knife Sharpening System

This machine works as advertised, which is saying a lot in this day and time. The instructions were a little slack, or maybe it was just my preconceived idea that there would've been a platter without the openings for the solid abrasive disks. Anyway, it took me a little bit of scratching my head and wondering if they'd packed two slotted platters by mistake.



That being said, I sharpened all 8 of my chisels and a planer iron in about an hour. It wouldn't have taken that long if a few of the chisels weren't in such bad shape.



Whoever came up with the idea of using a 3/8" ratchet extension to center the disks had a very good idea. I didn't even try to use the method recommended in the manual. For anyone looking for a great value for their money for a sharpening system, this is a great choice. I'm looking forward to trying the knife sharpener attachment I received today.

I don't know how to the one reviewer got such bad results with his work sharp knife sharpener, but I have had A++++ results with mine. I have sharpened at least 40+ knives on one set of 3 belts and used them for about a year now. I sharpen everything from 2 ft machetes to pairing knives and stainless to carbon steel.



What I have found (to extend the sanding belts life) is , if a blade is REALLY dull, ie a stainless steel machete or lawn mower blades, I grind it a bit on the work sharp 2000 discs and them start with the knife sharpening belt attachments. YMMV



Every knife I own now is hair shaving sharp. Only draw back, is that thick survival type knives like Ka-Bars and such can be hard to get into the groove and get at the right angle, but it still works.



If you have dull knives this is it!!!!

Mower blades rusted beyond belief. I could write on the edge that was supposed to cut! Now, after a few minutes with the 2000 and it is better than new. I added the knife sharpener and now my wife keeps calling her knives killer sharp. Now I won't go to sleep before she does!'

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Esata Expresscard - converter cable, esata cable

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My notebook came with an eSATA port but not Blu-ray, so I used this cable and a power brick from a SATA to USB kit to connect a relatively cheap desktop drive to my HP dv4z. I've also used it to connect various SATA HDs to run diagnostics. USB is adequate for optical drives but this cable keeps my notebook's two USB ports free for other things. For external HDs you really, really want SATA. Tripp Lite P952-003 eSATA to SATA Signal Cable, 7P-M/7P-M - 3ft

This SATA to ESATA cable works very well. It is well made and has the metal plates on one side, which is the only difference between SATA and SATA II cables. SATA II is twice as fast as the original SATA. 300 mbps vs 150 mbps.



Who needs it? Two classes of people. One that has an external SATA II drive with a SATA connection, not an ESATA. True, it makes no sense, but I bought a used high quality External SATA II Drive off of Craigs---- from a seller who did not mention the fact. He even tossed in an ESATA cable, but the drive, for some unknown reason uses an external SATA connection in the "L" shape, not the straight ESATA connection. My PC connections are all ESATA, so I needed this hybrid. This 3 foot cable gives me enough room to vary the location a little. The other cable I found locally, 1.5 feet in length doesn't.



The other type of person is a tech, who should have this cable in case they run into a situation like mine. Remember, you can't order it quickly without a lot of postage. Or, you could ask the person to return in a week...

Very nice cable for connecting a Sata hard drive externally to the eSata connector on a desktop or laptop. I have a PCMCIA eSata(2 i/o's) card on my laptop and can connect two internal hard drives or combos of external drives and swap files, wipe drives, clone drives, etc.. This cable is essential for working on these internal drives without locking into a desktop case.

I had an older external SATA drive using the old "L" shaped SATA connector and when I upgraded my laptop, of course I had no way to connect to my old primary hard drive. Despite being told by techs at 2 decent Mac stores that no one made this cable, I bought it here even though I wasn't sure it was the right cable (bad product description), but with an express card it worked like a charm; plug and play.

Obscure item. But if you were stupid enough to early adopt SATA before they changed the plug standard, like me, then this is the solution.



One world:One plug

I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this cable. I have discovered when using this eSATA-to-SATA cable with my external eSATA/USB 2.0 hard drive enclosure, instead of the computer's built-in eSATA port, that my data transfer rates have increased significantly. Go figure!

The cables worked great for connecting external drives to my laptop and desktop PCs. The speed of the eSATA blew away both firewire and USB connections. It's like havimg another internal drive for my laptop and great for backing up files on my desktop PC.

this item came 5 days ahead of schedule was to arrive on 2-9-11 but it came 2-4-11 great item... heavy duty cord i thought it was going to be some cheap piece that wasn't going to last a few weeks but i was dead wrong once again a really great item - Sata - External Hard Drive - Converter Cable - Esata Cable'

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Dog Nail Clippers

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I've worked with dogs for years and as a result am very particular about nail clippers. Not only are these clippers comfortable to use but they can get into tight spaces and give you more control. On top of that they give you a nice clean cut. Safari Professional Pet Nail Trimmer, Small/Medium

One of my dogs has this weird nail that doesn't contact the pavement when she walks. It was actually growing into a curl and she wouldn't let me file it off. I needed something that would be quick and painless.

These trimmers did the job.

I assume I'd like these more if my dog enjoyed getting his nails cut. I've used it on my dog, my moms, and my aunts. All three of them are idiots when cutting their nails. I feel like I had to use more force than I did using my old, cheapo clippers though. And It didn't cut as "Clean" as it was supposed to. And if I didn't press hard enough it sort of "ripped" the nail end off.



I'm going to try these several more times. But they're no miracle, thats for sure.

Our new clippers arrived today, and we tried them out immediately with great success. The stop guard on the clippers is a great feature that keeps you from cutting too short and also takes away a lot of the stress from the chore. I used to be very timid with our old trimmers, afraid to hurt my puppy. These clippers were very sharp and cut through the nail cleanly. No flinching from me or my dog! Definitely recommended.

It clips very well and easy. I have a terrier so his nails are not very thick to begin with. However, the safety feature is a waste. It's too far off (so I'd cut into the quick if I were to rely on it) and it gets in the way of my seeing what I'm doing.

For me with a small dog, this is an ok buy that does the job, but I would prefer a more heavy/solid clipper for my own comfort. I was surprised at how small and light this was (for something labeled "professional" grade).

I bought these for my dogs, in which I have 5 of them. This is standard size, but still works great for my greyhound and lab and smaller dog. Its sharp, and quick and I love the grip. Very glad I purchased this nail trimmer!!

I use these clippers on my cat and they do the job well. The guard on the back is reassuring as it prevents you from cutting the nails back too far. However, because my cat is still a kitten, even if I cut to the guard it would still be too far. But regardless, the clippers are very sturdy and work really well. I am very pleased.

I'm not a dog grooming pro by any means, but I needed a good sharp clipper for my small dog's dewclaws. These did the trick with no trauma to either one of us. I think that you need to be decisive in your movements and give the claws a good fast snip. The nail guard will help keep you from going too short. In all, a great purchase.'

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Photography Equipment - sandisk, digital camera

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This card can hold up to about 1500 8 megapixel jpgs (give or take) which is usually more than I need in a single day. I also have three 1 gig Ultra II's and have noticed that they seem to be faster than the 4 gig version...but I usually don't need more than 9 pictures of an event in less than 5 seconds anyway, so this has not caused too much trouble. I have taken about 5,000-6,000 pictures on this card so far without any problems, other than running low on hard drive space because I end up taking more pictures due to this cards large size. So if speed is your main concern I recommend buying a few 1 gig cards or even moving up to an Extreme III, but other than that this card is a very good size for the cost and gets the job done. SanDisk SDCFH-004G-A11 4GB 30MB/s ULTRA CF Card (US Retail Package)

I bought this in April for my new Canon 30D and it worked great until several months ago. When I would go back to scroll through the recently taken pictures on my camera it would start saying "Data Corrupted". It started out slowly then it would lose every third picture. I tried to reformat the card and got an error message. Now my camera does not recognize it nor does the camera software on my computer. It was a wonderful card while it lasted but I too am hesitate to get another one. Hopefully mine was a lemon too.....but then again.

I love the quality and speed of SanDisk cards. Nevertheless I must confess, after having an Extreme card, you do feel the difference, while browsing through the pics in the camera... I believe it's worth to pay the difference for an Extreme one. In all other matters, great product, reasonable speed (while taking / processing pictures) and good speed for transfering photos to the computer.

This seemed like a great card at a great price. Unfortunately after 4 months, during the middle of a paid shoot, all of the images instantly dissappeared. I stopped using the card, put it aside until I got home. I tried to use software to recover the images. Only a few could be recovered, the rest were gone. I've not been able to re-format the card in either a canon eos 5d, digital rebel, or using software on my computer. The card is now completely un-usable.



All of my older cards continue to work just fine. Hopefully this is just a lemon, although I need to replace it, and am obviously apprehensive about purchasing another one from Sandisk.

Normally I really like Sandisk CF cards. I have an Ultra II 1 gig that has performed flawlessly for over a year. I just recently purchased 2 of the 4 gig cards for an upcoming trip.



To preface I've had digital cameras for years. As far as digital SLR's I've had the orginal DRebel, 2 20D's and 2 30D's.. as well as a Nikon D50. I'm not a novice when it comes to these and to the cards they take.



Upon arrival of the 4 gig cards I put them in to check them. Both produced Err 99 on the Canon 30D's... as well as the Canon 20 D's. The only way around that Err 99 was to format BOTH CF cards on my computer .. and only then did they work in the cameras.



I have NEVER had to format an card before first time use in any of my cameras (including the other 2 4 gig cards that I own).



The cards are being sent back to where I got them, and I'm purchasing cards from a different vendor (and the Ultra III). It's my belief that it could be a batch problem .. as I am hearing others complain of this issue over the last month.



If you experience this problem, return them IMMEDIATELY to the vendor that you purchased it from. While reformatting them on your computer will work, there's a fairly good chance that the card could fail down the road.

I own five of these. The first one I bought at least a year and a half ago, maybe two. Not a problem with any of them, ever. They're fast and at a good price point. If you do any kind of action photography where your camera's buffer comes into play it's worth the extra money to buy a card that will read and write faster.

I used this card for over a year with no problem, deleting all the images on it with my computer numerous times without a problem. Until recently. I deleted the images from my computer, was able to take two photos, then got the change notice on my Nikon D70. I reformatted the card on the camera, but it's still unusable.



It's a great card, delete on your computer at your own risk. - Compact Flash - Sandisk - Digital Camera - Photography'

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