Strength Training - p90x, exercise bands

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These things are more effective and better made than I expected. As a pastor in my late 50's, I don't get a lot of exercise, nor do I have a lot of extra time or money. I wanted something small and inexpensive - not a weight machine that I would have to set up in the basement. My wife suggested exercise bands. After a quick review, I determined that 1) I needed a complete set to have enough for a good workout, 2) they had to me made well (many reviews complained about weak stitching and other failures). BMP's "new and improved" set (that included a Door Anchor - which I use in about half the exercises I do) seemed like the best choice.

As a former engineer, I look closely at design, workmanship and quality of materials. I have not seen other brands up close, but I am very impressed with this set from BMP. The straps connecting the handles to the bands are made of heavy "ballistic nylon", with an extra piece added to double the thickness where the heavy duty metal grommet is located. To keep the bands from pulling through the grommet, they appear to have something like a large ball-shaped bead over the tubing with a tough rubber sleeve over that - a very nice design. The handles have a somewhat thin, but comfortable padding. The clips that attach the bands to the handle are heavy-duty and easy to clip with a single motion.

Before my first workout, I tried each exercise to determine what band combination I would need. I then ordered my workout to somewhat minimize the number of band changes -- but I was surprised how quickly I could change them out. I was also pleased with the variety and quality of the exercises - I thought bands would be a poor substitute for machines and free weights, but in many ways I find bands to be better - especially compared to the kind of machines you can afford for home.

One of the things I found to be lacking with the BMP set was exercise instructions - they only have six exercises. If they just printed one more double-sided piece of paper they could have added an additional 12 exercised. So I found a good small booklet - "The Great Stretch Tubing Handbook" for $8.95. Black Mountain Products Resistance Band Set with Door Anchor, Ankle Strap, Exercise Chart, and Resistance Band Carrying Case

Compared with other resistance band products selling, this band definitely is superior in both quality and strength. I'm a pretty fit guy, and sometimes when I use other bands, I'm scared that some part of the band is going to break if I'm too hard on them. With these bands, I'm sure that I can go as hard as I can, and the integrity of the bands will not be compromised.



The design is overall better. The plastic in the handle is thicker, ensuring that will not break. In addition, the other weak point of the band between the clip and the actual colored band is enforced with a ball-type system, which is also superior to other designs.



If you are planning on using bands for high intensity workouts like P90x, these bands cannot go wrong. Having used other multi-colored bands for sports like wrestling and soccer, I can say that these are the highest quality bands that I've used.

I have recently started the P90x system, and required these resistance bands for the program. I have shopped around and priced these things all over, and these are the least expensive by far... especially considering the quality and the included door anchor, leg strap, and the fact that these bands are stackable meaning it will be a long time before you max out on these things. The materials are of high quality. The metal rings are of good construction and the metal clips are thick sturdy metal. the handles are made of high grade nylon webbing and are very strong, the handles have foam grips that are very comfortable to use. The included bag makes taking your stretchy gym everywhere you go very convenient.

Was looking for exercise bands to use with P90X rather than buying a complete dumbbell set. I'm very happy with this product. I don't seem to use the yellow and blue bands at all since they don't provide very much resistance. The other bands get used and work well. I like the fact that the bands have clips for the handles. I bought an extra set of handles to avoid having to swap out frequently between exercises. As it turns out, a lot of times when I'm working a smaller muscle group with a single band, I won't even use the handle -- I'll just grab the end of the band near the attachment. I also really like the fact that it's easy to combine the bands to increase the weight. I haven't used the ankle strap and I'm not sure if I ever will. I have used the door attachment and it works well when used as instructed. I think I'll attach a carabiner to the closed nylon loop on the door attachment which will make it even easier to use.Overall, this is a great product. Very pleased.

I purchased these resistance bands about 5 weeks ago for use with P90x. I required an affordable and convenient way to easily move workout equipment from one room to another. These resistance bands achieve that requirement. From a product perspective I have been extremely impressed with overall quality and performance of the bands. A really nice feature of these bands is the ability to add multiple bands for additional resistance to one handle using the clips. The clips are great for ease of transition to different resistance bands, however if you are trying to do Lawnmowers or Heave Pants the additional 3-4 inches the clip extends the handle limits your range of motion.Overall I am happy with my purchase and the overall quality of this product. I would definitely purchase this product from this company again.

I don't often write reviews, but a month in and I love this product. I was going to go to my local sporting goods store and buy a resistance band. Then I started to look into it, and the cost of getting them in multiple "weights" added up quick. This system has the ability to be quickly tailored to difference resistance levels 'on the fly', and comes in a nice compact carry-bag. Loved it so much I bought it for a family member as a gift! - Exercise - Exercise Bands - Fitness - P90x'

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Notebook Adapter - apple, macbook

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I bought this apple mackbook adapter from the store front at amazon and was completely amazed to find out that its a fake macbook adapter, Guys please stay away from this store front "bobcatpower Storefront" and i would not recommend anyone to buy anything from this bobcatpower Storefront. The plug is loose and its very low quality. If you see the picture on the storefront it shows "APPLE LOGO" on the adapter but the adapter that received has no such logo.



When i ask the seller to take it back in return at the same time i wrote a honest feedback saying that the seller "bobcatpower" is selling a fake adapter and i really wanted other people to know so that they dont make the same mistake as i did, Now the seller threaten me saying that if i dont remove the negative feedback the storefront "bobcatpower" would the same to me. I am completely amazed as how amazon allows this kinda store front to operate. I am a valuable customer of amazon but now i really have to think hard before i make any other purchases on amazon's store front.

When i asked the seller to return my shipping cost, the store front "bobcatpower" is replying me back with another threaten email saying that they would only return back my shipping cost only if i remove the negative feedback. But i dont care much about the shipping cost and i would make sure that this store front is banned from amazon who indulge themseleves in threaten their customers and also by selling wrong and fake items to their customers.



I would also suggest amazon to stop allowing this fake store fronts to operate on such a reputed online store. Apple MagSafe 60W Power Adapter for MacBook MA538LL/B (Retail Packaging)

Got one of these with my second mac. And it's the second mac I've had with a power cord that frays and melts down. the magnasafe connection is a fantastic advance, but I don't understand why Apple has such a difficult time making power cords... i see that there is the option to make a video review, looking forward to filming the smuldering remnants of my power cord so that you can all share in the misery of second rate technology.

I love apple and I will keep apple products even though this adapter creates quite a problem. I didn't know, until I replaced mine, how common the problem was. Luckily I purchased the extended warranty so even if I have to replace it every year, apple will do it for free the first 3 years.



But it puzzles me why they can't create a better adaptor, especially at this price. Which is why I gave it two stars: high price and will only last about 1 year. But, you don't have any other choices right now so you have to just bight the bullet or leave apple macbooks alone.



If you purchase from amazon you will get a genuine apple adaptor, i can't say the same from any storefront--I always treat them as buyer beware.

I am a die-hard, rather-fight-than-switch Mac user. That said, I have been disappointed with this product and if someone else made a powercord for macbooks, I'd buy one elsewhere. The bottom line is that the junction boxes on the chords overheat. Every other mac user I know experiences this (as well as the batteries getting really hot in the laptops themselves). In this case, my junction box overheated to the extent that it literally melted the thin chord that goes from the box to the computer. Yes, melted. Which is why I needed to purchase this item. And why I was frustrated that I had to pay $80+ for a product made only by Apple that is faulty in design. And yes, the new chord gets hot, just as the old one did. It took 2 years for that one to eventually melt itself - am hoping this one will last longer. I still wouldn't switch from Mac computers, but I do wish Apple would rework these chords and then make replacements free or cheap to folks who've had melt-downs like mine.

This is the only charger available for my Macbook so I have no choice! Magsafe is an ingenius design and the looks of this charger is much more pleasant compared to the bulky, unsightly ones other laptops have. However, the wires and rubber covering is so thin and not heat resistant that I had to buy this new charger. The rubber near the main charging plug has melted. Apple needs to work on this.

I've used this adapter for about a month now, and I'm sure the magnetic attachment has saved me one, maybe even two, broken cords. Good going, Apple! Now for the bad news. These little wall warts are easily misplaced, left behind, etc., and the price, as you've no doubt noticed, is 10-15 bucks more than the previous model. I left mine in the hotel room, and the hotel can't find it, so after a single month I'm out another $80+ for a replacement. And if the sticker shock weren't enough, go to Apple Store and check out the reviews of this little number from numerous unhappy users, who award it a collective 2 stars (out of 5). Apparently it heats up and shorts out within a year. That's small consolation for my loss--at least I won't be electrocuted quite as early as some other users. Still you might want to check eBay to see when some clones at a third of the price are available. - Power Adapter - Mac - Macbook - Apple'

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Lifestyle Design

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This is my first book review on Amazon and I decided it was worth leaving my two cents. Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. The author outlines how working on your own terms is possible. She practices what she preaches and provides numberous stories and examples to prove it. The biggest thing I've struggled with in my traditional 9-to-5 job is not having time to pursue things I want to do. I can only afford to take off TWO days for my brother's wedding in Ohio. Maybe I'll fly to Florida NEXT year to visit friends when my vacation time renews. My husband and I own a motorcycle and trying to save enough vacation days to travel for any length of time during the summer months always leaves me wanting. Rationing my two weeks vacation a year is always depressing. The author acknowledges this common frusteration and poses a solution. She's living the solution herself (wait till you read about her 18 weeks vacation a year!) The author walks you through brainstorming activities to help you get out of the 9-to-5 rut and there are sections outlining pitfalls to avoid. For me, this book was a push to really examine talents and experiences I can use to redefine my career and lifestyle. My career path has changed course as I've already started pursuing potential leads...hopefully it does the same for you. The 9-to-5 Cure: Work on Your Own Terms and Reinvent Your Life

The 9-to-5 Cure is a real gem in a market filled with fluff and theory. It's a must-read for anyone looking to design a business and lifestyle that are aligned with what matters most to them -- and written by someone who really knows her stuff. Cardinale's ideas, tips and strategies are practical, actionable and fundamentally sound. If you're ready to make a commitment to change the way you work and play, this book is an excellent place to start.

This ideas contained within this book aren't bad. In fact, they provide a lot of solid food for thought on how we can improve our general happiness by taking control of the world around us. That is a good thing.



What I did not like about the book is that the relaxed conversational tone got very tiresome after 200 odd pages. I never felt I fully connected with the author so having her write in a style that seemed like we were long time friends felt forced and a little out of place. In addition, I never felt fully driven to move forward with the ideas. We all have friends that we like to talk to because they are comforting and others that ignite an inner fire in us. For me, the author was further on the side of the comforting/relaxed.



I implore others to read some samples from the book and get an idea for themselves. For some the conversational tone might be great, for others it might feel a bit too avuncular.

I thought it was a transformative book in delivering fresh ideas with a strong motivational undercurrent and a big picture of life feel. It is substantial enough to give the reader a sense of confidence in pursuing their objectives. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to expand his or her career opportunities. Good luck all....

I find the book to be both practical and honest, and when presented with a warm and encouraging voice, it was an overall good read! I like that the author asks really pragmatic questions (e.g. How much money do you need to live the lifestyle you want?) and then challenges the reader to step outside of our comfort zone in thinking of ways that we can make that money. The reality is that the principles outlined in this book aren't a one sized fit all way of working for everyone. I think plenty of people who need certainty in how/when/where their income is coming from won't necessarily be the person who thrives on a patchwork lifestyle. But for the person who seeks a way to lead a more entrepreneurial lifestyle of making money, and who is willing to spend time and effort designing a new way of work, this book will be a great tool in helping them along. For me, I'm still figuring out what work style would suit me more, and I find myself thumbing through the 9-to-5 Cure every few days, and am thankful that my good friend sent me this book!

Even though the economy is bad at this point, it's also a time for opportunity. Whether you've been laid off or simply feel stuck in your job, The 9-to-5 Cure: Work on Your Own Terms and Reinvent Your Life will show you exactly how to find your life again. So often we get buried beneath work until it becomes the vast majority of our life. This book will show you how to stop working for a living and learn to live again as you reinvent the life you desire and deserve.



Want to change careers or have some backup plans in case something current falls through? The 9-to-5 Cure will show you how to do it! This isn't the same ol' same ol' where an author preaches words of comfort or inspiration. Instead, Kristin Cardinale takes you by the hand and shows you exactly how to create a working plan for your life that makes you feel rejuvenated rather than drained to the core. Who knew that working could be so fulfilling and actually exhilarating? Not to mention stable! I urge you to buy and read The 9-to-5 cure today!

I was a bit skeptical when first picking up this book; it seemed like a pipe dream. Wouldn't all of us break free from the prison-esque 9-5 job if we had any real choice in the matter? An optimist, I began reading anyhow and proceeded to spend the next hour in that exact spot inside Barnes & Nobles. Cardinale's advice is practical and the promised results, attainable. The stories she shares of her own quest for the ultimate 9-5 and the painstaking realization that the "ultimate 9-5" was an oxymoron, and achieving prestigious job titles still left her miserable and unfulfilled, gave her credibility in my eyes. This is someone who climbed the mountain, saw the view from the top and realized it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Instead of drudging through for the remainder of her career (like most) she forged a new path and figured out how to use the skill sets she already possessed to create that "ultimate" career for herself; lucky for us she's decided to share.'

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Sexy Lingerie

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The description is misleading... as you can see from the image, these are thin nylon stockings NOT THICK KNIT LEG WARMERS.



My wife finds these perfect for keeping her legs warm under long skirts or slacks in the cool springtime or fall. The footless design allows her to wear toe-less shoes or sandals with a dress. She can pull the bottom down into her shoes, or wear them at ankle height to appear like capri tights.



She finds these very versatile and sexy - no one would suspect that they are thigh high stockings. She has found that they stay up better with garters.



Drawback: Sometimes the elastic on the top causes a rash or blisters if they are too tight. Opaque Thigh Hi Leg Warmers O/S BLACK

The tights are a great red color but I was expecting more of a leg warmer, thick and like a knitted material. They are more like colored nylons, thin see thru tights. Price is not bad and not worth it to send back - hopefully I can find a use for them.'

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Photo Scanner - scanner, document scanner

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I just KNEW this product was out there somewhere! I kept thinking, "Surely I'm not the only person who has hundreds of photos to scan and can't afford to take weeks to do it!" I kept looking, reading reviews, and looking some more. There was no way I was going to take 5 minutes - or even 2 minutes - per picture, previewing, scanning, cropping, adjusting. All I wanted to do was get decent, quick scans from old photos, good enough to post on Facebook. This little gem turned out to be perfect for what I needed.



PROS: This model will handle up to 8.5 by 11 inch photos. There is an adjustable guide to help you feed pictures into the slot, but I found I didn't really even need to use it as long as I positioned the photo up against the left edge of the scan path.



Scans are very quick. At the default setting, a 4x6 photo takes approx. 20 seconds to scan and save. Everything is automatic. You put a picture in the slot. The scanner feeds it through - fast! When the light stops blinking, you scan another. I sat there watching TV, feeding one shot after another through the unit without a hitch.



One of the best features is that you don't have to be connected to a computer. If you're not connected via the USB cord, photos are automatically saved on the SD card. (The unit comes with a 1GB card, which hold hundreds of photos. HINT: After you install the scanning software from the SD card during setup, you can delete the scan software from the SD card. You'll free up lots of room for more photos. Just be sure to save a copy of the software somewhere, because I could not find a way to download it from the manufacturer's Web site.) You could take this unit to your family reunion, sit at a table with the relatives, and scan in photo after photo. When you get home, you can transfer the photos to your computer, or just pop the SD card into your digital photo frame. (I scanned about 350 photos and had them uploaded and posted to Facebook photo albums in about 3 hours.) Of course, if you'd prefer to connect and scan directly to your computer via USB cable (included), that is easy to do as well.



CONS: You have very little control over the scan settings. You choose either 300 dpi (dots per inch) or 600 dpi. (300 dpi is fine for posting photos online.)



You have no control over how the photo files are named when they are saved on the SD card or on your computer. (They are just numbered sequentially.)



You will need another software program if you need to manipulate the images after scanning (cropping, adjusting colors and brightness, etc.) The software that comes with the scanner does not have any editing functions. I recommend IRFANVIEW, a superb freeware photo editing program [...]

It would have been really nice if the unit could have operated on batteries. Then you would not even have needed to use the power cord (included)! Maybe next model...



BOTTOM LINE: If you need museum-quality scans for posterity or super high resolution scans for enlarging, get yourself a good flatbed scanner and digital photo editing software. It takes a lot of money, time and effort to get scans that good.



But if you just need quick, decent quality photo scans for sharing via email or posting online, this may be exactly what you're looking for.



NOTE: After now doing approx. 500 scans, I have not had any of the problems with lines across the image that some reported. I do use the little cleaning swab (included) about every 50 scans as suggested by the manufacturer. Pandigital Photolink One-Touch PANSCN06 8.5-Inch x11-Inch Photo Scanner

The first thing we noticed about the PANSCN06 scanner was its small size. The scanner is about the size of the cardboard tube used for a roll of paper towels. The unit is amazingly powerful and versatile considering its small footprint.



We scanned a family album of 50 various size snapshots from the 1950s and 1960s by placing the scanner in front of the keyboard with the usb cord attached to the computer. Then we got going and placed photo after photo into the scanner slot, with the dual rolls of the scanner doing the work by pulling each photo through the front and out the back. The scanning of 50 photos required less than half an hour. Most of the time was spent removing the photos, then reinserting them back into the family album once scanning was complete.



Because we elected to scan directly to the computer rather than the SD card, we got immediate feedback by observing each scan on the monitor screen in near real-time. Thus we could tell if a photo had been scanned to our satisfaction, or needed to be re-scanned due to cockeyed orientation or some other reason.



As others here have observed, there are two scanning resolutions, 300dpi and 600dpi. We have only used the lower resolution, but have no complaints. The scans on the computer screen are at least four times larger than the original photos, which renders detail sufficient to blow us away.



There has been an issue with Pandigital scanners regarding lines appearing in the scanned image. We experienced no such problem after 50 scans. Reviewers on other websites have suggested opening the scanner case to clean the scanning glass of baked-on dirt or debris which cause the lines. We are prepared to attempt this remedy if needed, but only after the warranty expires.



There is one important issue about old photo scanning that needs to be brought to light here. This scanner is proficient at revealing details, some wonderful and some not, which are not obvious in the original photos. Thus, that hairy facial mole on Aunt Matilda's face in 1956 will once again be front and center on your computer screen, even if it was not that apparent in your little 2 x 3 print from the Eisenhower administration.



In our case, we grew up with a large active family that abused photos. Thus, after scanning we found ourselves using the eyedropper and paintbrush in Photoshop to restore images. We removed a wrinkle caused by a puppy teething on a print. We digitally blotted a red raspberry jam stain from my sister Susan's nose. We whitened the image to remove yellowed aging appearance. And so on.



Bottom line: great value, quick way to archive your treasured family moments from yesteryear. - Photography - Portable Scanner - Document Scanner - Scanner'

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Victoria Boutenko - environmentalis, natural foods

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I loved Michael Pollan's book "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" in which he summed up his research into what we should really be eating by saying "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." I then thought, O-K, that's great advice but how do I do that? Salads?



Victoria Boutenko's book answers my question so completely that you would think that she was wondering the same thing. Many of the plants that are the healthiest for you (the dark green types) are difficult to eat raw in any meaningful quantity; kale, mustard greens, spinach, collard greens, etc. This is why so many people either cook them to death or smoother them with high calorie dressings. The Green Smoothie Revolution book showed me how I could add all of things that I believe are healthy for us (leaves, fruit, and berries) to my diet in an easy and fun way.



I was introduced to the Green Smoothie by a friend who had been eating this way for a while. I have to admit that when I made my first one I looked at it and said "Really?" It looked like something that Yoda, the swamp dwelling Jedi master from the Star Wars movies, would eat. Green, thick and kind of bubbling. I pride myself on my cooking abilities, especially in making a dish look appetizing by skillful plating. This did not look good; as a matter of fact my other friends used quite a few "colorful" expressions to describe my concoctions, none of which are appropriate here. The taste however is an entirely different matter. The simple blend of bananas, strawberries and kale was sweet, earthy and fresh. I was hooked!



In addition to the wonderful recipes for green smoothies (with alluring names such as "Hawaiian Hibiscus", "The Laughing Gorilla" and "Green Monkey Face") the book also offers moving testimonials and, most importantly, sage advice from Mrs. Boutenko. I have grown to really enjoy mustard greens as a part of my smoothie meals but she gives a great reason to "rotate" your choice of greens. It seems many plants have ingredients in them (including alkaloids) that could become slightly toxic if eaten in large quantities in order to encourage animals to vary their diet so that the plant would not be eaten to extinction. By regularly changing my choice of greens I can avoid this problem as each plant has a different chemical make-up. Another thing that surprised me is that pets enjoy this type of food as much as people do.



I will have to admit that I am not planning to eat 100% raw foods. I believe that humans are omnivores and that a varied diet is a good thing. However, I feel much better now that I have made my daily Green Smoothie my major meal of the day. I still enjoy my cheeses, breads, butter (I LOVE good, cultured Vermont butter) and meat, but I am eating much less of each of them. Thanks to a great friend and this book I have finally learned a practical way to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."



In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Towards Natural Health

This is a nice primer on a very easy way to amp up your nutritional habits.



I've been studying raw foods eating for the past week and the Boutenkos are definitely pioneers. The book has a brief testimonial from Victoria, a really neat Russian lady whose entire family at one point was diagnosed with severe medical conditions. Desperate for answers she met a lady who introduced her to the raw food diet. The entire family went 'cold turkey' and despite complaints and grumbling the daughter's asthma went away, and the son who was recently diagnosed w/juvenile diabetes, noticed that his blood sugar readings were dropping. Eventually the family was healed from all their medical conditions and they became sold on the raw foods way of living.



The Green Smoothie was a culmination of Victoria's efforts to figure out why her family had seemed to reach a plateau. She researched chimpanzee diets and found that leafy greens comprised a high part of their diet. However she admits that she had very little tolerance for raw leafy greens and found them disgusting.



After trying to blend the raw greens in a blender, which resulted in a stinky mess, Victoria added a banana and realized the fruit masked the smell of the greens. So she and her family began incorporating this vital nutrient into their diet by making 'green smoothies' w/fruit, water and greens.



The book contains a testimonial, important pointers for preparing smoothies such as rotating greens to avoid buildup of 'alkaloids', opinions on what ingredients add to or detract from an effective smoothie, a section w/smoothie recipes, and an appendix, which contains a testimonial from a 400 pound guy who found that green smoothies were the only way he could cut his cravings and effectively complete a weight loss program.



It's a very nice little book and it's something anyone can do. All it takes is water, greens, fruit and a blender. It would make a very nice gift for someone who needed a simple way to start improving their diet.



I have actually been drinking them and notice a big difference in my energy. Raw foods can be intimidating but this is such an easy first step. The book also has footnotes is well researched.

Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko

Review by Susan Schenck, author of The Live Food Factor

Inspiring, informative and entertaining



As the author of a raw food book myself, I rarely come across a related book in which I find many new facts. But it is clear that Victoria did her homework, because I found myself highlighting sentences on nearly every page. Though Victoria includes ample science in her book, the tone is very conversational and easy to read.



I was delighted to come across many surprising new tidbits such how, if you blend the greens you only need half as much as you do if you eat them in a salad; green grapes, tomatoes, apples, bell peppers (and more) are really unripe fruits; a zinc deficiency can create a lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, and much, much more!



Victoria also teaches us how processed foods have created degeneration that progresses with each generation! She found that ear lobes get smaller, which reflects a lack of cartilage in the body. She points out that the current generation of children is not only more obese than ever, but also is using more psychiatric drugs, braces for the teeth, and glasses. Our lack of good nutritious food (especially greens) is clearly degenerating us as a species.



I was most impressed with the research Victoria did on greens. For example, I used to have a nosebleed at least once a week until I switched to a raw diet 7 years ago. From reading this book, I realize now it was a lack of Vitamin K. Victoria lists the many symptoms that come from a lack of Vitamin K, which is found abundantly in greens. There plenty of other useful lists, such as cultivated greens, wild edibles and weeds, herbs, medicinal herbs, and most important: poisonous plants (with a stern warning to learn how to identify these before going foraging for wild plants!)



Victoria assures us that if we start blending the greens with plenty of fruit we will love the smoothies. She argues that this is good food combining, since greens are not really vegetables--because they are not starchy. Then, as we get used to them, we will not need so much sweet fruit, but will crave and enjoy the bitter greens. There is info on how to get even your cat to eat green smoothies (dogs are easy!) and also guidelines and tips for green smoothie production.



The book also contains personal stories, such as the delightful one about how her grandchild became hooked on green smoothies while in the womb, and another about leaving green smoothies out for wild animals -which led to, among other creatures, a bear coming for green smoothies! In one appendix we learn about how the Boutenko family went raw, and in another we read about how one guy lost 230 pounds in a year by doing green smoothies. (When will the TV "Biggest Loser" contestants catch on to this?)



All of the above makes the book worth the price even without the recipes. Yet the recipes make up the half of the book--there are 72 pages of them! Many are donated by readers from all over the world, and there are even green smoothie soups, puddings and body care recipes!



This book has truly inspired me to get back on track with more green smoothies. I had gone down to just one a day because of my fondness for chewing. But reading this has definitely inspired me to upgrade my "raw glow" to a "green smoothie glow." - Natural Foods - Environmentalis - Vegan - Green Smoothie'

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Concrete Grinder Plane - bosch

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I do residential construction and was looking for equipment that can shape concrete foundations, piers and slabs. Although I already have a 4.5in angle grinder with a diamond cup, I was searching for something that would leave a smoother, flatter surface and would not put out clouds of harmful annoying dust. The Bosch 1773AK Concrete Surfacing Grinder is well designed and made from quality materials. It requires no skill to use. In fact, its boring. Just set it on top of a foundation wall or slab, apply a little pressure and drag it along at about 1/4in per second. The surface grinder has a dust removal port that mostly eliminates the dust clouds. An adapter (included) brings the diameter up to 1-1/4in and then another one on the vacuum hose (not included) allows connection to the 2-1/2in port on a Ridgid shop vac. Although the Bosch surface grinder functions correctly and does remove dust, I would call it strictly a surfacing tool rather than a grinder. Ironically, the equipment works best on surfaces that are already flat. This expensive, specialized tool leaves a flat, finished surface of exposed aggregate. It is for this specific task and does not replace the angle grinder. If I have to remove chunks, round corners or shape the material down to a somewhat flat surface, I go back to the angle grinder. Bosch 1773AK 5-Inch Concrete Surfacing Grinder

I purchased the Bosch surfacing grinder to perform some floor preparation for a tile job. The concrete slab was cracked at one of the induced cracking points. One side of the crack was raised about 1/8 inch higher than the other side. The crack was near the door, and the height difference made it impossible to set the new tile so that the new tile height matched the old tile height, outside the room.



I used the Bosch surfacing grinder to level the crack along a 3 foot length of the crack. It work flawlessly. In about 15 minutes, the leveling job was done. The tiles line up perfectly, now. The grinder was used with a shop vac, and there was virtually no dust, until the shop vac filter got plugged.



One of the previous reviewers mentioned a problem with the circuit breaker tripping when the grinder is used. I also experienced this problem. It occurred to me that the shop vac was operating on the same circuit as the grinder. The combined current load exceeded the circuit breaker rating. I switched the shop vac to an outlet on a separate breaker, using an extension cord. This fixed the breaker tripping problem. If you have high powered stereo gear, other appliances, or heavy lighting loads on the same breaker as the grinder, the breaker will likely trip. Make sure to put the grinder on its own lightly loaded circuit.



Over the years, I have purchased several other Bosch tools from Amazon.com. I find Amazon's service to be good, and I think very highly of Bosch's tools. Bosch's Bulldog hammer drill, router, jig saw, and 1/4 sheet sander all exceeded my expectations for quality, durability, and value. The Bulldog is excellent for broken tile and thin-set removal, by the way. You wouldn't want to tear up flooring for an entire house using this thing. But for removing tiles in a bathroom or bedroom, the Bulldog is a great asset.



My only gripe for the concrete surfacing grinder is the price, and the price for alternate grinding wheels. Both seem a bit steep. There aren't that many choices out there, and I think Bosch plays this fact to their advantage. I would buy it again, though, in spite of the price. I dinged the product 1 star for the price. A Bosch 8.5A, 5 inch grinder is about $150. Add $20 for more amperage, and $75 for a grinding wheel and you're up to $245. I think this is the true dollar value for this tool, and I would give 5 stars if the price was in the $250 range.



06/13/06 Update: I ended up grinding about 30 linear feet of concrete cracks to achieve a smooth and level surface. The Bosch concrete surfacer performed flawlessly. It easily paid for itself on that one tile job. I also used it to remove old drywall mud from the slab. The residual drywall mud was left over from the initial house construction. The carpet guys just installed carpet pad over it. The tool cleaned the concrete very nicely, thereby leaving a fresh concrete surface for the thinset to adhere to.



Make sure you get supplemental dirt bags, rated for concrete and drywall dust, for your Shop Vac. The regular bags catch most, but not all the concrete dust. The regular bags also allow the Shop Vac pleated filter to plug up very quickly. The bags rated for concrete dust work beautifully.

I used 1773AK concrete grinder to remove quikrete concrete resurfacer that never turned color and was streaky. It did excellent job of removing product that was applied 1/8" thick. Dust collection was outstanding provided you either cleaned or shaked filter of vacuum often. Product loses star because it tends to trip overload protection often even when not pushed hard;despite using a 12 gauge ext cord(50feet). Overload tripped more often w/ new wheel which grabs a bit at first. Overload trips less when wheel has some wear on it. So far I have ground 13 sections of sidewalk and went used 3 diamond cup wheels(2 dc510s, 1 Dc520). I like 510 wheel the best for my aplication. One wheel and 4 sections of sidewalk to go. UPDATE:Finished the job. Grinder did well except for annoying overloads.

We wanted to replace about 1500 sq feet of floor tile set on concrete with about 3/8" of thinset. The tile was easy to remove using Bosch's SDS Plus hammer drill, but the thinset did not want to come up. So I took a gamble a bought the Bosch concrete surfacing grinder. Its great! It's so easy to use my wife did about 95% of the grinding. And if you hook the grinder to a good shop vac there is hardly any dust.

This tool is amazing. I purchased it to level/grade a concrete slab beneath what was later to be a tiled floor. The slab was more than a year old, and filled with aggregate - very hard. I had to remove about an inch and a half at the thickest point, tapering down to nothing over a 2 by 4 foot area. I researched online and asked around, and settled on this Bosch product. I have owed other Bosch products, and other highly respected brands as well, having no particular loyalty other than to quality and value.



This grinder was impressive. Solidly built, easy to use, professional results. I followed the set-up suggestions, particularly those pertaining to the shop vac filter connections, and finished the entire job in about two hours. Virtually no clean-up, no dust escaped the well-designed skirt and grinder head assembly. My GC stopped by to help, stuck around for about an hour to try out the new tool, then left, concluding I had no need for his assistance. He was impressed as much as I (which is a rare thing as he is a perfectionist with 27 yrs experience and an impressive array of both old-school and modern-technology construction and power tools).



It's so much better for concrete leveling/planing than an open-skirt angle grinder (which we used for cutting some drainage slots). It sits flat on the floor and does its thing, leaving behind a smooth level surface with no ambient dust. I didn't have problems with overheating, though I could see how one might if applying excessive pressure for long periods (hours) at a time. To those who complained about it not being a general purpose tool, I agree, it is great for leveling and not at all useable for slots, tight detail work, or general purpose grinding. But then again, don't buy a race horse if you want milk - buy a cow! - Bosch'

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