Interior Decorating - interior design, decor

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The book is absolutely beautiful with great color photographs and lots of information. The only thing I would caution against is that the book is mainly focused on traditional/classic and country/cozy type styles. There are a few contemporary designs featured, but anyone who is looking to design their entire house in a contemporary/modern style (think Ikea furniture) may be disappointed. New Decorating Book (Better Homes & Gardens Decorating)

When we moved into our first home, I didn't know where to begin. I admit I didn't know much about decorating and wasn't even sure of what my own tastes were. I also didn't know much about what my options were. I mean, I'm clueless when it comes to furniture styles, colors, arranging furniture and that sort of thing. We got this as a wedding gift, and I'm using it all the time. At first my husband and I used it as a kind of dream book, and we'd look at the pictures and make wish lists of how we wanted our home to look. (There are sticky notes sticking out all over the book now!) Then, I started reading,and I realized it's like a little textbook on decorating. I'm getting braver now, and our home is looking better, little by little. And, I know it sounds as if I'm in some kind of commercial, but we never put this book away. Thank you, Better Homes and Gardens.

I am loving this book. I admit I did not buy it but received it as a housewarming gift. We have decided it is the best gift that we received, because we've already spent many evenings looking through the book together. (I never thought my macho husband would look at a decorating book. But it's not a cutesy, paint-this-and-that book. I knew he was getting into it when he started bookmarking pages.) The color pictures are worth the money all by themselves. Dreamy with lots of variety. I don't want my style dictated to me, and seeing all these different kinds of rooms and furnishings is great. The quiz on finding our own style is fun. We both took it and compared notes. Right now, I'm into the room arranging section, which has gotten me to redo our living room without spending any money at all. All I did was rearrange the furniture and it made the room so much cozier.Now I know what to get friends when they have housewarming parties.

This book is meant to be a comprehensive decorating guide and covers a vast array of subjects. The text does a decent job of briefly discussing various topics although it is far from comprehensive. In the section covering fabrics and upholstery, for example, I was a bit shocked to see that leather is never even mentioned (nor does it appear in the index). Unfortunately, this type of omission is typical. By trying to cram every decorating topic under the sun into 400 pages there is no subject that really gets the attention it deserves. Perhaps the biggest problem with this book is that it has such a strong "house style" that, despite their lip service to different styles, most of the rooms seem to end up looking remarkably similar. Virtually every room has either a loud floral print or a large vase of flowers dominating the room. And lots of clutter is usually found keeping those florals company. For those who love the country cottage style, I can see this book offering a treasure trove of great ideas and photos. For those like myself who prefer a cleaner, more contemporary feel there is little here of interest. The text is occasionally useful but the discussion on each topic is too shallow to provide a real blueprint. Overall, this book was a real disappointment.

I looked at the last three reviews and decided to get this book. I'm so glad I did. I haven't begun to digest it all, but I've already spent hours just sitting and enjoying all the color photos. So far, I've used ideas to brighten up our outdoor deck furniture, rearrange the living room furniture, and now we're planning our big master bedroom redo for this all. What I like is the variety of ideas and the explanation of all the decorating basics. I know it's corny, but this book is sort of like having a decorator friend helping me. Thanks, Better Homes and Gardens.

I saw the previous review and, lo and behold, saw the book in a big display at a local bookstore an hour later. I figured someone was trying to tell me something! I got it at the store, only to see that it's cheaper at amazon. Oh well. I'm glad I bought this book, because it is relevant and current, as the previous reviewer said. I'm really excited about all the ideas in the book, and I can see that it's also going to teach me all those decorating basics that I need. I didn't expect this from Better Homes and Gardens, but I must admit that I don't read the magazine. The book is over 400 pages and full of great color photos of very stylish rooms. A bargain!

Some of the only decorating books worth keeping are published by Better Homes & Gardens. This one, as well as the new edition which is not being shown on Amazon.com, are excellent. These are books you should OWN, have on your shelf, and refer to. Whether you're looking for colour ideas, window treatments, where to place lamps, how hight to hang a picture, etc. these books offer what you need to understand balance, scale, and how to make a room look perfect. I would also consider giving these books away as gifts - they are very useful and the pictures are BIG which is everything. Short on text, long on visuals, is what makes a decorating book worth buying.

Someone was reading my mind when they put this decorating book together. It has EVERYTHING. I've gone through so many books that propose one philosophy or one style or some other very narrow topic. What I needed was THIS. I needed some grounding in interior design so I could understand how everything might go together in our own home. Few books explain anything beyond the author's own point of view these days. This one explains the basics so I can make my OWN decisions. What a breath of fresh air. I found just about every style in here but I agree with one reviewer who said there isn't a lot of "contemporary" in this book -- thank goodness for that. I laughed when I watched a recent Trading Spaces episode in which the homeowners and the host were yelling, "No contemporary!" My feeling exactly. I did notice that this book (a bargain, by the way) is a soft-cover edition of a book that came out five or six years ago, so that probably explains the overriding traditional and cottage feeling. Fine with me. I'm looking for classics. - Decorate - Interior Design - Decor - Cottage Decor'

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Travel Accessory - universal, travel accessory

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This product includes:

1 male plug adapter, which fits in any of the 4 types of supported outlet types (European, British/Asian, American/Japanese/Chinese, and Australian)

1 female outlet adapter, which accepts any of the 4 types of supported plugs

1 USB charger adapter, which can be swapped with the outlet adapter



This was the best of all the adapters I looked at, it has a simple compact design, and only three parts, two of which will usually be firmly attached to each other, so there's less to lose. Contrary to what some of the other reviews say, the USB charger WILL work with an iPod. As I write this I'm charging my 2nd gen iPod Nano with it. It's also not a voltage converter, but I think that would have added a lot of bulk, and all of the electronics I travel with are dual voltage anyway.



I would have given this 5 stars, but I've had a few minor issues with it:



1. It takes much too much force to plug in a grounded 3-prong US plug into the adapter, so much that I'm afraid I'll break it when I remove the plug. It works, but you have to force the round US ground pin into the rectangular UK ground hole, which is just slightly too small for it to fit easily. If the UK ground hole was slightly rounded or half a millimeter larger, it wouldn't have this problem.



2. You sometimes have to pull out the pins on the plug end with your fingers to get them to lock correctly. Otherwise they'll retract back into the adapter when you try to plug it in.



3. You can only awkwardly connect all three pieces together for transport, and you can't do it at all while you're using it. It would have been better if there was a slot or something where you could attach the unused part during use. Kensington Travel Plug Adapter with USB Charger 33346

This seems well made and compact but it didn't work with my Nano. I tried it twice, and both times it didn't charge and required resetting the Nano. I'm guessing the Nano is somehow programmed to look for either an Apple charger or a computer USB port, perhaps even one with Ipod software installed. This is the second such device I've tried that wasn't Apple authorized and both had similar, but not identical problems.



It does work with my Dell Axim, though that comes with an AC charger and I didn't buy it for that. I've always had good luck with Kensington devices and if nothing else, it's still a plug adapter.



I wouldn't hesitate to buy this for a non-Apple product. And because of this Apple problem, I just bought a Sansa flash player instead of another Nano.

I've tried two of these travel chargers. It's a nice idea. I have some devices that can be trickle-charged by USB, so for my trip overseas I wanted to just bring one of these adapters and the device's USB cables to save space. But the USB adapter caps did not charge my cell phone (Motorola L6) or PDA (Palm TX), so I'll still have to bring the full wall adapters.



If the AC adapter cap converted voltage, it would be great, but it doesn't.



If you could plug the AC adapter cap onto one end, and the USB adapter cap on the other, you could have a nice compact one-piece unit for travel. Of course if the USB adapter cap doesn't work, what's the point?



It's still useful for its travel adapter cpabilities, but I am disappointed that it wouldn't charge any of my USB devices.

Excellent compact design. You pick your countries plug type and slide out the prongs. Sure beats buying a plug adapter for every country you visit. It does not step down/up the voltage, but it's not meant to. For those that miss that, it has a fuse (and a spare fuse). The USB adapter handles 120/240, so it works everywhere. It's a bit goofy having a separate piece for USB, but with the rest being so compact I can overlook it.

I recently purchased this adapter before leaving for a long trip spanning Europe, Middle East and South Asia. I was glad that the adapter fit every socket in all the hotel rooms I stayed it. It also didn't up much space in the laptop case which was a real advantage since other adapters tend to be bulky. The USB charger also helped me recharge my portable appliances without having to turn on my laptop. Its worth every cent.

I've been using this for over one year, and have been very happy with the performance. I use it to charge my iPod and electric shaver (not at the same time, of course), and it has fit fine in every outlet that I've tried.



The description says this is an "all-in-one" adapter, which is a bit of a stretch. There is the main adapter body, and two removable caps, one for regular electronic devices, and one for USB devices. You can only use one of the caps at a time, so there will be a loose cap around. It would be nice if it came with a little bag or case to keep the components together.



Please note that this DOES NOT CONVERT VOLTAGE, nor does it make any claims that it does so. Read the instructions and carefully check your electronics before leaving for your trip. - Travel Accessory - Universal - Usb - Adapter'

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Cpo Bostitch - bostitch, cpo bostitch

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I purchased the MIIIFS stapler to lay approximately 1,700 sq. ft. of 3/4 inch red oak flooring in my new home. After installing well over 1,400 sq. ft. here are some of my observations:1) The tool makes it very easy for a novice to put down a nice, tight hardwood floor. If the boards are laying tight an easy swing of the mallet is all it takes to fully seat a staple (more on this later). If the board is warped the MIIIFS can stand up to a solid mallet smack without any trouble. The mallet's plastic face, by the way, does not show any signs of cracking so far.2) The stapler efficiently uses the its air so you do not need a big compressor. I have been using a 1.5 hp unit with a 6 gallon tank. Output is set at 85 psi. I doubt such a small compressor could supply two nailers simultaneously, but it handles one quite nicely.3) The stapler did develop a small air leak near the top shortly after I began using it. The amount of leaking is small (based on psi drop at the compressor) but does make a distracting noise. This leak does not affect the function or reliability.4) At your starting wall you need to face nail the flooring until you get about 6 inches from the wall. After that you'll have enough room to get the stapler into position.5) As you approach the far wall the stapler can be used up to the last 13 or 14 inches.6) As mentioned earlier the tool only requires an easy mallet smack. However, if you don't swing firmly enough the staple will not seat fully. This is usually caused by crowding against the far wall and not having enough room to swing the mallet.7) The firing knob is too stiff to actuate by hand reliably - the mallet is required. It would have been nice if there was a way to trigger the stapler by hand then you could use it much closer to the far wall.8) I have not had any problems with jamming. The unit I've been using has reliably shot every staple right down to the very last one in the magazine.9) I have heard some rumors of staple-style flooring nailers damaging the floor's tongue. After closely examining several hundred staples in oak I'd say that about 2 or 3 percent show any signs of tongue damage. Some of this infrequent damage is due to stapling through a knot or due to handling. Some is due to the MIIIFS. I'm not sure how this compares to nail-style nailers. Anytime you send a fastener through kiln dried hardwood you're bound to have some occassional splitting.Would I buy the MIIIFS again? You bet I would. Despite its few minor shortcomings this tool has saved me a LOT of work and the price is lower than other pnuematic nailers that I've looked at. Bostitch MIIIFS 1-1/2-Inch to 2-Inch Pneumatic Floor Stapler

As a professional building contractor I have tried several flooring tools, and can easily state that this is the best fastening system I have experienced for both unfinished and prefinished flooring. The staples hold better than cleat nails, and result in far less tongue splits as well. Surface marring and excessive tongue splitting are caused by improper or inexperienced operation of the tool, not by the tool itself.

I run a hardwood flooring company in Wyoming and have 3 of these units running all the time...They are durable and very dependable...we have been experiencing problems with the nuts and bolts holding the bottom plate on. Several of these bolts are in hard to reach areas and come loose and fall out several times a day. I would recommend this item to anyone, but I also would recommend that you buy a bottle of LockTite at the same time, And go through and LockTite all of the bolts, Other than that this is a awesome unit, We have one that is one of the very first air assist bostich nailers and it is still running strong. Good luck!

I purchased this nailer from Amazon to lay 3/4" hardwood flooring in several rooms in my house. I have since fired about 5000 staples through it without any problems whatsoever. This stapler is very well designed ergonomically and mechanically. The mallet is big and somewhat massive in weight but there is a purpose in that. It takes very little effort and just a slight tap to drive a staple because it is pneumatic. So if a board lays nice and straight, then a slight tap will suffice, but if you have a somewhat uncooperative piece of flooring, then you will appreciate the heft of the mallet because it will cause the most finicky of boards to come together and lay tightly. The handle is long and fits well in your hand. Consequently your not bent over as much. My first floor laid was oak and I've started my second which is brazillian cherry. This wood is extremely heavy and dense. This stapler does not care how hard the wood is, it just works and flawlessly at that. After all isn't that what you want from a tool, flawless performance!

I've installed thousands of feet of hardwood with the M111FS and it has, so far, worked flawlesly. The hammer activated model does a nicer job than the older trigger activated one. The light mallet blow required is just enough to drive the board being fastned tightly against the existing work for a tight joint and at the same time offering resistance against the driving mechanisum to insure uniform and propper seating of the staple.

I have received (2) Staplers and both units developed identical operating problem within (5) hours operating time. A small air leak developed upper section below rubber driving cap. Shortly after air leak developed 8 to 10 staples, units stopped operating.I have checked operating procedures and have found no problem. Have discussed problem with other users that had rented unit from Home Depot and was told they experienced absoultely no problem. Even after 20 hours of hard use, rented unit operated perfectly for them. I have request another unit and am in the process of shipping these defected (2) Units back. Also have e-mailed Bostitch and requested technical support.

If you have ever used a hard wood nailer that wasn't pnuematic, you'll want all that time back once you get your hands on one of these. Fast and easy to use. I've used one for years with no problems or regrets. - Cpo Bostitch - Bostitch - Staplers - B000f3i5zy'

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Hungrygirl Recommends - dairy-free, milk substitute

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This taste really good in cereal or mixed with carnation instant breakfast drink. If you mix 1 cup with the sugar-free carnation drink mix, you get a good & filling breakfast or snack for 1 weight watchers point.

Sprouts has a better price on it though.



The previous reviewer should not have given the product a low rating because of Amazon's price. Amazon's ratings go in a different section. That's not fair to the product and to the people looking for feedback on the actual product. Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Milk, Unsweetened Vanilla, 32-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)

For those of you complaining about the price, that state it's twice as much (or more) as your local grocery store, THEN BUY IT IN YOUR GROCERY STORE.



Amazon offers it as a service for people who CAN'T get it locally. Think about that. Not everyone lives in a big city.

I've used almond milk for years (I refuse to say how many!)and this is excellent. I drink both the vanilla and the plain, unsweetened version and find it to have a smooth, creamy feel and light, delicious almond taste. It's not overpowering, but it's certainly almond. I use it for warm drinks, in cakes, and to make instant puddings for my spouse. It sets up firmly and quickly, and he loves the flavour. I also love the taste cold, with cookies! And, my cats like it better than cows' milk.

This is to the holy cow person who says shame on Amazon. Don't you really mean shame on you? True, Blue Diamond charges only $22.95, but you did not say the rest, they also charge a WHOPPING $17.83 for shipping, which comes to a grand total of $40.78.

That's why it pays to have Amazon Prime. For a little over $6 a month, you get free shipping for anything amazon sells. 2 day fedex at that!!!! If I want Blue Diamond to send it to me in 2 days, the charge a disgusting fee of $49.36 + $22.95(product). I sure hope people have enough sense to not listen to your foolish advice!!! Buyers beware of the holy cow - batman person! Kudos to Amazon! I love their Prime package!!!

Because I think it is important to know what is in Almond Milk, the nutritional info is included below. I do want to add that I believe that small changes can make a huge difference in speeding up weight loss. Walk the extra 1/2 mile and substitute lower fat and calorie foods and beverages, don't feel starved, and you can still lose weight effectively - compared to crash diets, lowered metabolism and the likelihood that a return to a sane diet will pack on the pounds (due to that lower metabolism). So how much better is almond milk than regular? If you do the math, you'll see that almond Milk has 1/2 to 1/4 the calories of milk (for an 8 ounce serving). Like chocolate? Get their chocolate flavored version and save even more.



I'm also on a medication that makes it harder to lose weight but I still was successful as long as I tweaked my diet and kept exercising.



I often crave both chocolate and peanut butter, having the vanilla and chocolate versions of this milk really helped with those cravings. There is another nifty product, found here on Amazon, which also goes a long way when it comes to cutting fat and calories. Since I sometimes use it with almond milk, I'm giving it a mention: PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter - 85% Less Fat and Calories - 6.5 Oz, which also comes in chocolate. Add it to almond milk and you either have a peanut butter flavored milk or a chocolate peanut butter milk. If you buy the unsweetened version of almond milk ( a mere 40 CALORIES a glass), you can add your diet sweetener of choice but I really don't mind the lack of sweetener.



Unlike milk, I don't have lactose intolerance, pain, and bloating with this. That is a HUGE plus right there!



Okay, here is the nutritional rundown and please note that I'm only including those items that contain significant amounts of recommended daily values or percentages suggested per day:

Calories: 40



Calories from fat : 30 (but compare that to whole milk) Also, if you mainly follow a low fat diet, you can work this into your daily plan, making sure your fat remains at 30% or less of your total calories. The nutrition label notes that the fat in this milk is only 5% of the daily total recommended per day for the average person.



NO saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat or cholesterol



Sodium 180mg



Potassium 190mg (5% Dietary Fiber 1g



Sugars 0g



Protein 1g



Daily Value:

Vitamin A 10%



Vitamin C 0%



Iron 20%



Vitamin E 25%



Vitamin B12

Phosphorous 10%



Zinc 20%



Copper 25%

I switched from soy mild to almond breeze just to try it out. It is wonderful.

the unsweetened is great for diabetics. It also only has 40 calories. It holds you for hours. I have a chocolate frosty in the morning (sometimes included is a half of banana with a large cup of crushed ice and 1 scoop of protein powder.) It takes like a milk shake.

I love this stuff to mix with whey protein powder and amazing grass chocolate superfood. It makes a tasty shake that is smooth and frothy and packed with nutrition. My boyfriend, who has a horrendous diet, has taken to almond milk, which has led him to check out other healthy possibilities. He's discovered healthy can be delicious. I love the convenience of getting 12 at a time because we do go through it fast. I think this is a very good price, given the convenience. I think it's a little less expensive through Amazon than at my local store. It's also nice to be able to store an extra 12-pack just in case.

as a blue diamond almond breeze milk, unsweetened vanilla devotee, i was very pleased to find this online. at the time, i was unable to find it in the stores. also, under any conditions, i like to have some of the item that needs no refrigeration on hand in case of emergencies, like snowstorms. i am not one to stand in grocery store lines to get milk and bread. also, if i had been required to pay shipping costs, i definitely would not have ordered it. the price would have been too steep. - Milk Substitute - Dairy-free - Dairy Free - Health'

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Baitcasting Rods - baitcasting rods

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I fish primarily for flounder and this rod twitches when one swims near. I can feel the bait swimming normally and can even feel when it gets excited ... like when a doormat makes her approach. This is a great rod for an excellent price ... frankly, I paid a little more for mine. Try it. I am going to buy another one! Abu Garcia 1-Piece Vendetta Series Baitcast Rod, 6-Feet 6-Inch, Medium Heavy

Purchased the 7' Medium Action to pair with my new Abu Garcia Orra Inshore reel. They were made for each other, a match made in heaven! This rod was so sensitive, I felt all the terrain as I worked a jighead with a jerk bait along the bottom of the Galveston West Bay. Abu Garcia has regained my loyalty!

I bought my first 2 Vendettas last month and just ordered a 3rd and a Veritas. I ordered the Vendetta to replace a broken AllStar rod I used for flippin. I bought a Kistler Magnesium and a Skeet Reese Micro rod and did not like either of these rods. So, I thought I would try a Vendetta. I figured if I was disappointed, I wouldnt be out a fortune and I could give it to my son. Well, he aint gettin this one. I was really impressed. I fish for largemouth only and skull drug about 20 bass on my first trip with the Vendetta. Overall your not going to beat the value in these rods for the money. The only thing Im not a fan of is the aluminum Abu medallion on the end of the handle. I cant wait to get my hands on the Veritas. Good job ABU Garcia!

I purchased the 7'6" Heavy model. I slapped my baitcaster on, spooled my backing line, spooled my braid and went fishing. After 5 minutes on the water, I flipped a 3/8 oz jig into some brush and hooked up with a 1.5~ lb largemouth and the instant pressure was applied, the rod tip snapped off like it was made of crisp bacon. I have a 7' Medium spinning version of this rod and it worked great all of 2010 so I'm not just a hater. - Baitcasting Rods'

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Usb Female To Female

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The adaptor I received appears to be dead. Utterly failed to connect my USB print server dongle.



I know this:

1) The printer USB output works, since I can plug a cable into it and print.

2) The wireless print server dongle works, since it lights up when I plug into my laptop.



But when I plug the dongle into the adaptor into the printer output ... nothing. No signal, no LED, which means no power going through.



Conclusion: the adaptor is busted. Wasted a lot of my time. Annoying. (And strange, since it is a very simple part indeed.) USB Type A Female to USB Type B Male Adapter'

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Pull-up Bars - chin up bar, p90x

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I was a little leery of making this purchase. Normally, products that seem too simple for too reasonable of a price just never end up satisfying in the way you hope (e.g. The Dodge Neon, anything on Jack in the Box's value menu, my two years at DeVry). But this? Oh. Oh, my faith has been restored in cheap American products.



Because, you see, kids. This is a WELL ENGINEERED cheap American product. Yes, a rarity. I was worried that it would be difficult to assemble. I was worried that it wouldn't really hang from my door frame. I was worried that it would break under my underwhelming 155lbs. I was worried the Utah Jazz wouldn't be able to gear up and start winning road games as the playoffs grew nigh.



I mostly worried for naught.



I assembled the Iron Gym Extreme in about 15 minutes. Probably could have done so a lot more quickly, but I was distracted by Boston Legal on DVD, and by gunning my power ratchet wrench at my cat to stop her from playing in the packing materials.



(Note: You do NOT need your own tools to assemble this product. It comes with a little tool. But you can speed up the process with your own tools. You should have your own tools anyway, you know? Be a man.)



Once you assemble the Iron Gym Extreme, you'll need to pick a doorway. It seemed to fit all my doorways perfectly, but I have heard word of older houses having issues. You will need to insert a small metal wedge into the top of your doorjamb. This helps to secure the device and make sure it doesn't fall on anyone's head. It's not as scary as it sounds, you just kinda shove the thing behind the wood. Then you kinda wiggle it and say "Will that hold it?" Then a few minutes later you say "Gol-darn, it WILL hold it. Ain't that somethin'." Should any friends be standing nearby, this would be an excellent time to exchange high-fives.



I then chin-upped. Well, I tried. God as my witness I had no idea I was such a puss. I had like no upper-body strength. I'm pretty sure I heard my cat laughing at me somewhere down the hall behind me, but the blood was thumping in my ears so I can't be sure. But the bar sure worked!



I didn't give up and kept at the bar. Now, no, several weeks later I'm nowhere close to entering any Ultimate Fighting Competitions or anything, but I can do buttloads of reps now, and my cat has stopped mocking me.



This product has been excellent. Buy with confidence.



The Utah Jazz, however, appear to be headed towards a first-round sweep at the hands of the L.A. Lakers.



Crap. Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition

The big question when deciding to buy the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition is...what will it do for you? Well buy this piece of equipment if you want to strengthen your upper body and stomach muscles. More specifically, you will be able to work your biceps (front of arms), triceps (back of arms), latissimus dorsi (the back muscle that give you that V-shape), pectorals (chest muscles), and abdominals (stomach muscles). Note I would not expect this piece of equipment to work any of your leg muscles- if used conventionally. Of course there's a lot of accessory muscles that might get a little workout too, such as your forearm muscles, because you're gripping a lot, and parts of your shoulder, but the major muscles that will get worked the most are listed above.



So how do you use it? You do a lot of the exercises hanging. Therefore, if you're not into hanging on to things to get your exercise in, skip this piece of equipment entirely. The first big exercise you can do on it is the chin-up, where you're pulling yourself up to the bar and then lowering. This will work you biceps and lats the most. BTW, chin-up, pull-up, they're both the same.



You can vary the grip, more so with the extreme edition. Know that using a palms up grip is best when doing chin-ups, simply because you'll be putting your biceps muscle in its most mechanically efficient position to contract- and so you'll able to pull up more times than if you used, say, a palms-down grip. Try it- you won't be able to do as many chins with your palms down, or in a middle position either for that matter. In fact, the palms down grip will work your biceps a lot less, so if you want bigger biceps, use a palms up grip! Switch grips for variety if you must- I'm just sayin' what's more productive and what works what the best...



The next big exercise is the dip. The dip will work your triceps and your chest muscles the most. Your front deltoid will get a fair workout as well. However, because the exercise is called a "dip", and setting this thing on the floor to do dips doesn't allow you to "dip" down very far, don't expect to get much of a workout doing a dip with the Iron Gym.



Next is the push up. You put the bar on the floor and do push-ups with it- which will work the triceps, as well as the chest. This is a good, productive exercise, and the Iron Gym makes it harder than a regular floor push-up- simply because you are up off the floor and can lower yourself lower- which gives you more range of motion, a good chest stretch, in addition to making the push-ups harder.



Lastly is the sit-ups. You can put this bar on the floor to anchor your feet to help stabilize your body better to do a sit-up. Contrary to popular belief, if you are doing a sit-up with maximal effort (i.e. doing them until you can't do another one), EMG studies have conclusively shown that your ENTIRE ab muscle is contracting. Sooo, know that you're not working the "upper abs" more than the "lower abs" when using this device to do a sit-up- rather your whole abdominal rectus muscle is contracting at once and getting worked and stronger.



Okay, so those are the major exercises you can do, although I guess you could pick it up and make up a few of your own moves if you wanted to. A few details. Some people have had trouble with this thing fitting in their doorway. My advice is to just try it- if it doesn't work, ship it back to Amazon for a refund and call it a day. If you're so inclined, look at some of the other reviews that have given precise dimensions, get out your protractor, and measure away to be sure it will fit. For me that's just way too much work...



Will this get you stronger? Absolutely- but only so much (which might be enough depending on your fitness goals). Anyone reading the strength training research knows that once you can do more than around 20 reps or so of an exercise in a row, you're going to be building muscle ENDURANCE more than muscle STRENGTH. That's the major beef I have with these kinds of pieces of exercise equipment- there's no way to "easily" make the exercise harder over time as you get stronger and the exercise becomes easier. And if you can't make the exercise progressively harder, the muscle isn't stimulated to get bigger and stronger as time goes on which means you will reach a point where you're simply maintaining - unlike exercise machines with a weight stack that enable you to gradually increase the weight to constantly challenge the muscle. Trust me, the guy in the YouTube Iron Gym video didn't get arms like that by just doing chin after chin using just his own body weight. Perhaps he had a small child grab his legs as he did the chins, or had his girlfriend sit on his back as he did pushups...



Overall this is not a bad piece of equipment, you just have to know its limitations- like how strong it can get you, and what muscles it works.



A few tips. If you can't pull yourself up and do a single chin-up (have your wife or girlfriend try one for fun), just use a chair to stand on to get you to the top position, and then slowly lower yourself to the floor while hanging on to the bar- then repeat until you can't do any more. You'll find that after a week or two of doing chins like this (just the lowering part), you'll soon be able to do a full regular chin-up where you can pull yourself up to the top position no problem. This works because you're about 50% stronger lowering something than you are lifting it. Exercisers who want bigger arms might also be interested in Smokin' Hot Guns!!: How an Average Guy Can Get Big, Muscular Arms In One Workout A Week. Stay fit. - Pull Ups - Iron Gym - P90x - Chin Up Bar'

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Book Stand - book holder, textbook holder

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From the perspective of one whose only hand suffers from both arthritis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, I rate the ROBERTS BOOK HOLDER, the BOOK BUTLER, and the Fellowes Book Lift Copyholder in 4 areas:



1. Ease of putting a book in the holder



2. Ease of turning pages



3. Holder's ability to keep book open



4. Major Strength/weakness



However, I will first describe the ROBERTS BOOK HOLDER, the BOOK BUTLER, and the Fellowes Book Lift Copyholder:



The ROBERTS BOOK HOLDER occupies 7.5 x 14 inches of table space, does not provide any elevation, but does permit placement of pegs at various widths and depths. It is very stable, and cannot tip over. Its pegs are not parallel to the book's pages, and are about 1 inch high.



The BOOK BUTLER occupies about 7 inches of width and about 8 in depth. Its pegs are 3/4 inch high, and the pegs are parallel to the pages, which means there is only a very minor chance of pages slipping past the pegs. This would only happen if the book was very stiff or if it were a hardback whose cover extended much more than 3/16th of an inch below the bottom of the pages. It has springs to hold its pegs snugly against the pages. The BB also elevates the book about 2 inches above the tabletop. Its metal rod may be inserted to hold books at two different angles: 45 or 15 degrees.



The The Fellowes Book Lift Copyholder is 11 5/8 wide and has an adjustable angle that can be varied to 5 or 6 positions. It folds into a flat easily carried sheet of plastic. It has holes to fit it into a 3 ring binder. Its two adjustable clips simply fail to hold anything but comic books open.



1. Ease of putting a book in the holder: ROBERTS BOOK HOLDER: 5/5; BOOK BUTLER 3/5; FELLOWES BOOK LIFT COPYHOLDER 2/5. I had no difficulty inserting a book into the Roberts Book Holder, while I did find it awkward to do so with the BOOK BUTLER. However, even with only one hand and it has both arthritis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, I was able to put a 2 1/2 inch thick hardback into the BOOK BUTLER without much difficulty. It is only a matter of figuring out how to do so with only 1 hand. The FELLOWES BOOK LIFT COPYHOLDER simply will not hold anything thicker than a small soft cover book, although putting it in was not too hard.



2. Ease of turning pages: ROBERTS BOOK HOLDER: 3/5; BOOK BUTLER 5/5; FELLOWES BOOK LIFT COPYHOLDER 2/5. While it was easy to turn pages with the Roberts Book Holder in most cases, there was some difficulty when the pegs were tightly pressed against the pegs. Also note that the pages must be lifted above the pegs, and can rip if carelessly handled. Compared to the BOOK BUTLER, this was noticeably inferior. Turning pages with the BOOK BUTLER involved lifting the hinged tab with one finger while turning the page with thumb and index finger. The FELLOWES BOOK LIFT COPYHOLDER's tabs are hinged, and therefore flip easily out of the way for turning pages. However, the pages simply will not stay open.



3. Holder's ability to keep book open: ROBERTS BOOK HOLDER: 3/5; BOOK BUTLER 5/5; FELLOWES BOOK LIFT COPYHOLDER 0/5. As mentioned earlier, the Roberts Book Holder has pegs that are at a slight angle to the pages, which may allow stiff books' pages to slip past the pegs. However, the BOOK BUTLER performed flawlessly. Note that I primarily use soft backs but not standard paperback novel-sized books. Manga books work fine. The FELLOWES BOOK LIFT COPYHOLDER fails almost every time to hold the book open. It would work fine with comic books as long as they are stapled in the middle and very thin.



4. Major strength/weakness: The ROBERTS BOOK HOLDER's major weakness is that its pegs are easily lost. Note that replacement pegs are available: Roberts Book Holder: Book holder replacement pegs - package of 2. People with severe arthritis may have difficulty handling the pegs. A secondary weakness is the fact that the pegs are not parallel to the pages, thus, pages are more likely to slip past the pegs than they are in the BOOK BUTLER. The ROBERTS BOOK HOLDER's pegs being round can roll away if dropped on the floor. However, its stability upon the tabletop is much better than the BOOK BUTLER, whose major weakness is its narrow 7 inch width that may cause it to tip over when holding a wide and heavy book. I just tried a standard college textbook in the BOOK BUTLER. Placing it in open to its table of contents was noticeably more difficult than it would have been in the ROBERTS. With the textbook in the holder, flipping from the table of contents to the index is awkward, mainly because of the transfer of weight from one side to the other, and would require sliding it so that the bulk of the weight remains near the middle. The FELLOWES BOOK LIFT COPYHOLDER's only redeeming feature is that it folds flat, and can be carried in a backpack without being in its box. Its adjustable clips simply flip over with the force of most any book. It is worthless as a book holder. It pales in comparison to either the BOOK BUTLER or the ROBERTS BOOK HOLDER. It is only good for thin magazines stapled in the middle. I had one that I used for a few years, but it simply was not worth the money. Nothing would stay open adequately. My attempts to stiffen the clips were futile.



I have carried the ROBERTS in its box a backpack for about a year, its box is worn but it is still in great shape because it stores flat. However, the BOOK BUTLER does not fold flat, and I would not think it would be appropriate for a backpack crammed full of heavy books, even if it were stored in its box. I have used the FELLOWES BOOK LIFT COPYHOLDER in that same backpack prior to buying the Roberts. There were no problems in carrying it, but since it fails in its purpose, why bother?



Thus, for home, I prefer the BOOK BUTLER; I am keeping the ROBERTS in my backpack; the FELLOWES is in the landfill. Fellowes Booklift Copyholder,Platinum (21100) - Large Book Holder - I Would Recommend It - Textbook Holder - Book Holder'

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Connectors - connectors, adapters

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Does what it's supposed to do, plain and simple. However, it seems the cable easily comes loose from the computer pretty often. I've lost scheduled recordings (DVR) because of this and it's super annoying. If you wiggle it just a little, that could mean the difference between a disconnected drive/connected drive. So if I am plugging another device into the computer, I always have to remember to check if the drive gets disconnected because the machine may have budged a little. I may have to pay more and invest in a better cable later down the road. Serial ATA 2.0 Cable, eSATA 300Mbps, 1.5 Meter (5 ft)

I used the cable for 3 months and it worked as it should. But it ultimately came apart at the ends, exposing the wires. It isn't worth the cost to return, but i suppose that is what they count on?

I wouldn't buy it unless it was going to be plugged in on a permanent basis.

The eSATA cable works just as described.



It provides high speed transfers. However, I am not sure whether its the wire or damaged physical driver of the eSATA port on my external HDD, but I do not always get a stable connection. Sometimes it would work. Then at other times I would try to use it again, and the drive does not even detect.



For that (over multiple drives and various eSATA cables), I only give this a 3 out of 5 stars. It works as intended, but not always 100%. I have given up on eSATA tech and am waiting for USB 3.0 to become more widely used.

I needed the cable to connect an external drive to my laptop. Using a USB cable made it take hours to do a backup but with this cable I was able to do the backup in minutes. Great price and quick shipping. - E-sata - Cable - Connectors - Adapters'

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Video Games Trade-in - brain age 2, brain age

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The first Brain Age on the Nintendo DS spawned a whole generation of brain training games. Now they're back with Brain Age 2 - and I really feel they did a great job of enhancing the game's functionality!



First, the infamous "voice test". In Brain Age 1, it was the classic see-a-colored-word-say-the-color game that so many magazines and websites print. The big problem there was that blue and black always got confused. With this one, they changed it to rock-paper-scizzors. It's just as challenging, and we've never had any problems with it understanding us. Hurrah!



Next, the mini-games. I appreciated the challenge of the Brain Age 1 games, but they were pretty boring. They just weren't much fun to play, especially compared to some of the other games on the market.



They did a great job of revamping the games in Brain Age 2. Some of them are still on the boring side, like the 'running people' game where you try to figure out what place the dark player comes in. Most of them, though, are truly fun to play. The spinning letters game where you try to figure out what word they spell can be quite challenging. I love the piano game where you try to play along with the song.



There are the usual graphing options, so you can see your progress over time, and then the "brain age" with an ideal age of 20. Just like with the first game, I have to protest that it's a silly idea that your brain is best at 20. Your brain can easily be very slow at 20 and much better at 30! They should rate it as a 0% to 100%, rather than pushing this idea that youth is best. What's next, a diet program that gets you to weigh the weight of an "ideal 20 year old"?



Still, it is certainly valid that the more you use your brain, the better it gets. Everyone needs to keep their brains exercised and fresh. Playing this game is far better than sitting back and passively watching TV all night. Best of all, you can bring this along with you and increase your brain power while you ride the bus, wait in line, and do other boring tasks!



Highly recommended! Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!

I have to say I like Brain Age 2 more than I liked the original. I found the first version of the game frustrating (yet still engaging) because the handwriting recognition and voice recognition to be problematic.



This new version seems to have improved immensely. I see a few reviews here inidcating that some users are having problems with voice recognition, but that's not what I am experiencing with the game. The Rock, Paper, Scissors game is working flawlessly for me, unless I stutter, stammer, or someone says something in the background. I especially like that the game requires you to answer with EITHER a correct or incorrect answer! Furthermore, I have absolutely awful handwriting, yet the game is doing an excellent job recognizing my chicken scratch!



Best of all, the game is addictive and has me playing constantly. I'm a fan of games like Brain Age and Big Brain Academy where you ultimately compete against yourself to improve your score (or compete against others if you are so inclined). There are enough challenging mini-games (including sudoku) to keep the game interesting for quite awhile. It is certainly worth the price!



However, it would be a mistake to believe these games are any REAL indication of innate cognitive skill and performance. The game claims to help make your brain more agile and that may be possible. Research is, in fact, showing the benefits for people to continue to solve puzzles, read, and perform other complex cognitive tasks to stave off the effects of mental aging and even help recovery from brain injury. I think Brain Age will improve mental agility, but players should not be discouraged if their initial scores are not high. This is a GAME first and foremost, not an IQ test. Play it and enjoy it!! If your brain becomes more efficient at processing information consider it a bonus of playing a very enjoyable game.

Brain Age 2, like the original Brain Age, is still the best Sudoku game available on the Nintendo DS. It makes excellent use of both screens (no wasted space or tiny, hard to see numbers that plague other "dedicated" Sudoku games on the DS). As I said in my review of the original Brain Age, I wish Nintendo would come out with a dedicated Sudoku game on the DS using this layout. They could rake in a lot of extra cash.



As far as the "main event", I pretty much agree with what the other reviewers have posted here.



I haven't unlocked all of the games yet, but so far, "Word Scramble" is my favorite.



Some of the new games are improved variations of the original games. "Memory Sprint", where you try to keep track of what place a race runner is in, is more fun than the original game of counting how many people go into and out of a house.



I also like the "Change Maker" and "Sign Finder" games, because they provide some real world practice, although some people may find them boring, or too much like homework.



The "Piano Player" game was a disappointment, because everybody here seemed to be talking it up, including keyboard players, and that's a bit scary because this type of "follow the bouncing ball" music game is available on just about any cheap electronic keyboard out there.



The "Word Blend" game is lost on me - you do need to concentrate to separate the simultaneously spoken words, but it seems to ultimately be a test of one's hearing (and patience).



My major gripes with the Brain Age series are:



1. Like other reviewers have said, the "scoring" implies that a younger brain must be better than an older brain. This is misleading and insulting. If Dr. Kawashima had a hand in this aspect of the game design, well, he needs to grow up a bit.



2. There's too much Dr. Kawashima! Even in "Quick Play" mode, there's "too much fuss" to paraphrase the good Doctor. I don't want to have to tap past the same screens of the Doctor telling me what's good for my brain umpteen times. I just want to play the dang game!



Still, there are worse ways to blow a few idle minutes every day than playing games like Brain Age. - Brain Age 2 - Puzzle Games - Brain Age - Nintendo Ds Games'

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Toland Flag

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I purchased this Toland garden flag about a month ago, and it has been hanging on my front door since the day it arrived. My front door is in direct sun most of the day and this flag looks perfect, hasn't faded a bit. I have owned a couple other Toland flags over the years and highly recommend them as they hold up to the weather and they don't fade. Star Spangled Banner Garden Flag

to show your patriotism without the normal flag on the house or in a plant. I've had this flag out since July 1st and the flag doesn't look faded and that's something in the Texas heat. It was a bit expensive compared to the 9.00 I paid for my other flags but I didn't mind since it works well for the July month.'

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Office Supplies - office supplies, pencil sharpener

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I was excited to purchase this product for my students as a replacement. It is the slowest pencil sharpner and seems to have no power to it...very cheap looking! If I knew this I would of spent a little more money for a better product Stanley Bostitch Personal Electric Pencil Sharpener, Black (EPS4-BLACK)

I didn't think I needed to spend $40.00 on a pencil sharpener, but I was wrong. This sharpener will eventually get the job done, but plan on spending 4 to 5 minutes to sharpen a new pencil. Even then, you will need to apply a fair amount of pressure and continually rotate the pencil to get an even point. Either pay up or go manual!

I bought this because my old sharpener had a crayon jammed in it(kids.) When I tried to sharpen the 200 or so pencils, I could not get a point, and it took forever, I gave up after just 2 pencils. I'd be better off using the cheap manual ones. I thought I just got a bad one.

I purchased the electronic pencil sharpener for my kids because the manual one was not working anymore. It's easy to use and compact enough to fit on my end-table for quick and easy access. The kids find it very easy and my youngest won't stop sharpening all her pencils!

this pencil sharpener is just not quite powerful enought to do the job it takes 3 minute to sharpen a pencil from new. thats a long time to spend on one pencil. and if you don't hold it just right it shuts off. it also wobbles and leaves long peices of the wood sometimes. not happy with this one at all - Office Supplies - Home Office - Electric Sharpener - Pencil Sharpener'

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Finish Nailers - brad nails, finish nailers

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I am building a series of cabinets and use the Bostitch brads for all the trim. I found that the 1 inch brads are exactly what I need for most of my project. I bought the 2 inch brads but find that most of the projects that I have tackled only require the 1 inch.



It took a little bit of time to learn to adjust my compressor to get the air pressure that is needed for the Bostitch brad nailer. I am new at using the nailer but got everything working after a few minutes of playing around. Just make sure use eye protection. Bostitch BT1309B 1-Inch 18-Gauge Brads, 3000 per Box

Brads are Brads they get the job done. The brads are great but the packing during shipping was terrible. The box the brads where in was completely destroyed and rows they come in where all broken apart. If not for the packing this would have been a 5 star review.

Well packaged and item was exactly as described. Wasn't in stock and took longer than expected, but multiple shipments are ok with me as long as the seller communicates well and I don't have to pay for their lack of inventory through multiple shipping bills. Such was the case here.



Bottom line - they're 18 GA brads, alright...

Beware ordering from Amazon. Of the three packages of brads, staples, and finish nails, two were broken open on the inside of the box with the brads scattered all over. They just don't pack them carefully! - Bostitch - Brad Nails - Brad Nailers - Finish Nailers'

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