Master Lock - door lock, kwikset

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I bought this lock to replace an existing lock. I had never replaced a lock, but the directions were easy to understand. It took me less than 10 minutes to remove the old one and install this one. It looks good, feels solid, and works just fine.



Though I did not have to use this feature, it is possible to adjust the setback from 2 3/8" to 2 3/4".



If you are looking for an affordable, easy-to-install lock, this one would fit the bill. Based upon this experience, I would not hesitate to buy another Master Lock in the future. Master Lock BAO0115 Ball Keyed Entry Door Knob, Satin Nickel

I'm not "handy" in the least yet these were a snap to install. I love these -- the only problem is the price keeps going up. But I found these very easy to install. My wife loves them and we want to slowly redo our house with these. One note of importance is all of the keys are interchangeable so if you're using this for your master bedroom and your walk in closet the same over sized key will work on each and every lock. This would be a problem if you were in a roommate situation where you need individual locks for each room. As I live in a family house, I love these and it keeps my 2 1/2 year old daughter out of my studio. It's also far more beautiful than the gold ones that were on there. It matches our brushed Satin fridge.



EDIT:



I have to add that some knobs use different keys and some the same. I never know which is which and it's a bit confusing and I not have these all over my house. I still love them and wouldn't remove a star for this reason. Just be aware of this.

I had these mounted on an interior door in my house, and the only problem I had was that they turned in the wrong direction to open. I ended up losing the keys in the middle of the night, and a locksmith wanted $150... so I set out to destroy these knobs as quietly as possible. I tried smashing the door in...didn't work. The striker held in the frame. The door was flexing and starting to separate, but the knobs stayed strong. I took the largest screwdriver I had, and began to pry and pry and pry, destroying the door. I ended up using two wrenches, one as a fulcrum, and just prying in every direction until the thing started to bend and look terrible.



It took me 30 minutes to destroy these stupid knobs. Could you do it quicker with a sledgehammer, an angle grinder, or a large drill bit? Oh yeah. That being said, these are a good set of medium-duty door knobs. It would take some real work to get through these without waking you up.

Re: Master Lock BAO0115 locking doorknob



The only problem I encountered (if it can be called a problem) is that the striker plate was shaped slightly different than the knob setup I was removing. Specifically, the position of the hole in the door jamb was positioned back slightly, requiring more effort on the door for the latch to secure properly. I tried adjusting the plate's position to no avail. So I just re-used the plate from the previous setup and the problem is solved.



Otherwise, this Master Lock(R) brand locking doorknob is well-made with quality materials and feels quite solid. It is also very reasonably priced and I find great value in this piece of household hardware. 5 stars

Installed in a few minutes and it feels solid. However, I don't know if I installed it wrong or if it's designed this way, seems like you can only open the door turning it one way (towards the hinge), I'm used to knobs that can open turning either way so I get thrown off. - Doorknobs - Door Lock - Handlesets - Kwikset'

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Emergency Supplies - jump start, power inverter

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Bought this for extended camping trips. We frequently find ourselves at events that require camping out, and with limited or no electrical. I wanted something that could supply power to our wide variety of gadgets that we typically need as a modern family.



Put the Powerpack to the test on a full week trip recently. Through the whole week, it was used for a number of purposes. Including, recharging cell phones, camera batteries, various media devices. It also was used to power a compressor to air up 3 different air mattress (including a queen), and refill them as needed. It also ran a hair straightener and blow dryer a few times. And it was used to run a breathing treatment machine for a friends asthma at least once a day. Might have been used for other things.



The results. The Powerpack lasted through day 5 of a 7 day trip, but we had brought along a lawn battery to attach as a backup. It was simple to setup, and the provided the power we needed for the last 2 days. The main battery lasted about as long as I thought it would, so I was satisified throughout.



The reasons why it didn't get 5 stars. Two reasons, and both kinda minor. One, no way to turn off the clock. I know its not much of a drain on a battery this size, but I would prefer to maximize my usuage. And two, the power meter is no super accurate. It showed 90% power on Day 4, 70% power on day 5, only to be out of power come the morning of day 6.



To be fair though, a few things where plugged into it overnight from day 5 to 6. Those items where low power or turned off. So its hard to say if they caused the drain. Maybe if they hadn't been plugged in, the main battery would have lasted all week.



Overall, very happy with the purchase. Duracell DPP-600HD Powerpack 600 Jump Starter & Emergency Power Source with Radio

I'm afraid this box didn't do the job. After charging for 3 days (1 day more than instructed by the manual), I ran a 65 Watt light bulb from one of the outlets. After only 13 minutes I got the low battery alarm. I tried charging for 2 more days and got the same result. I then called Xantrex tech support (Though the box is sold as Duracell, the tech support number in the manual is for Xantrex - BTW, kudos to them for having a real person answer the phone). They said I should try first charging from a car for 2 hours (I was using the AC adapter previously). I plugged it into my car lighter socket, but the charge light did not come on. It did light when AC charging, so I checked the battery voltage with a meter. The problem was that the battery read over 13V, so it was already higher than my car battery. That was enough trouble-shooting for me, so I returned the Powerpack today, before my return window with Amazon closed. Amazon paid for return shipping, so I'm still happy with them. I got free shipping with the purchase, so I'm out zero dollars.



Here's what I think is wrong with this product. Gel cells (the battery inside the Powerpack) can't sit for a long time in storage without charging because their internal resistance goes up (something called sulfation). When that happens the battery can seem fully charged, but it isn't because the resistance prevents it from really charging. I don't think these Powerpack products move out the door rapidly enough, so many sit in storage too long before being sold. If you are lucky, you'll get one that hasn't been stored too long and won't have a problem. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't lucky and I'm unwilling to spin the wheel again.



To Duracell/Xantrex: You need to fix this problem by switching to a battery type that doesn't have these basic weakness. Lithium batteries would be ideal. It would raise the price of the box, but it would be worth it because you could get more power in the same size with less weight. Also consider that far fewer Powerpacks would be returned. That's got to save you some cash, yes? I'm ready to buy a Lithium powered one, even at $200, but don't make me wait too long.

I got stuck last week with my car's alternator and battery being dead. This unit started my car 4 times that night and I actually used the supply to power the car so I could drive it an extra block to avoid paying a tow charge. It powers my hungry laptop for up to 4 hours between charges. I can't recommend this power supply more....all aces.

Update:

My unit failed to take a charge finally. I did have another unit that failed and a note of caution here. These devices are not perfected yet. True when they function they are unbeatable but they still can fail prematurely. When they work there is nothing better. The key here is price i think. I paid well under 100 and they have been recently priced at 149. I would not pay anywhere near that for the power supply as they do not last. If i had paid the 149 and it failed after three years that comes to a cost of 50 per years usage and that is not worth the cost. This power supply with a combined power inverter is a great idea, they just need to improve the quality of the battery within or make it so you can merely swap out the battery inside when it dies. Again, my experience has been awesome as to performance but it isnt a device which provides durability with certainty. If they made it so one could go to a battery dealer and get a replacement battery to insert then it is worth what they are asking.

Conclusion:

If you have a need for a solid unit and you luck out with a good one then you will not be disappointed until it eventually fails. It will provide you with stellar results until it dies. The question is this... Is it worth the price for the time it lasts? Only you can answer that. It is an oddity i think to find a product that performs so good yet is such a gamble. I would think that the engineers that designed this fantastic device would consider better quality batteries or a perpetually replaceable battery insert. - Power Inverter - Jump Start - Camping - Power Supply'

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Composition - canon, creative photography

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For those impatient enough: if you are to buy one book that would teach you photography - this should be the one. This book has survived seven editions and it has enough information to make your head hurt. Needless to say, this book does not offer a silver bullet that would make you Ansel Adams, but it has enough information to build a solid technical foundation upon which you could leverage your creativity.Make no mistake: this book is first and foremost about film photography. While there is a somewhat obligatory chapter on digital photography, it is hardly more than a very brief introduction. The rest of the book implies film photography (needless to say, that information on exposure and lens is generally applicable to both film and digital photography techniques).Furthermore, the book is seriously geared toward black and white photography. There is plenty of information about the color process but it feels complementary to the narration.On the negative side, there are only a couple things to note:- Having so many precise instructions, this book ought to have an appendix containing all data in one place (from reciprocity failure correction numbers, to N+2 development time increase, to film processing checklists). It is a shame, the book doesn't have such a reference chapter.- The price of the latest edition is way too steep. While I am far from suggesting sacrificing quality for lower price (as unfortunately so many other books do), I still think that the price has risen way too high compared to older editions.All in all, it is an excellent basic reference. It is unlikely to be the only book on your shelf, but it will definitely be an extremely useful one while you are mastering advanced photography. Bottom line: buy this book now. Photography (with MyPhotographyKit Student Access Code Card) (10th Edition)

This is a great book for amateurs who want to understand how photography works. The textbook format is well laid out and organized. It has chapters that cover everything from how the camera works and different lens characteristics to developing and criticizing your own work. I don't think it will be much use for experienced and pro photographers but it might come in handy to freshen up on your photo knowledge.

When in college, I took a photography course from a well known and respected photographer in the Bay Area. This was the textbook we were to purchase. I have since turned to photography full time. I look to this book for little things from time to time and I am glad it is there. It is like a little mentor. I recommend it to all people I speak with who say that they would like to know more about photography. It is a great book. One you will use over and over again. One that will not grow dust on its' cover.

As a college teacher I have used this book for two decades and watched it's price go up and up. Obviously, I think it is a good book. However, the camel's back has finally broken at the current 74 (!) dollar paperback price. I cannot justify asking intro students to pay this much.I will find a suitable, less expensive alternative. The price difference will be best spent on film.

This is a definite "must have" for the serious amateur. Whether you're just getting serious in photography and are looking for a crash course, or have been at it awhile and want to learn some of the more technical aspects, this is the book for you.Some of the things covered include cameras, lenses, exposure, film, and darkroom. The index is well done and makes using this book as a reference easy; there are lots of good photos that illustrate what's being explained. (What would be the point in buying a photography book without lots of photos, after all??)This is the book that got me started, and I can't imagine not having it. My only complaint, if I have to have one, is that I can't seem to keep it on my shelf -- all my friends are always wanting to borrow it!

This book has been around for a while, in many different printings. Every time I see it in a used bookstore I buy it, so I will have it on hand to give to the next person who asks me about photography.This book has everything you need to know about photography, from discussing the various types of cameras to lighting and metering techniques to how to develop and print your own film. It is well organized and easy to understand. It is written so a beginner will have no trouble with it, but with enough information to get you to a pretty advanced stage. What more could you ask for?

This book at one time was a must have resource, but more and more it is becoming "long in the tooth" in the digital world. Sure some material is still valid to both digital and film photography, but the books value as a resource does not live up to the lofty price tag for a new addition.



I had originally owned the 6th Edition as a course book. Recently a photography group in which I participate decided to do a focus discussion on the book. I purchased the 8th edition and found very minimal differences between the 8th and 6th. Save yourself money and don't bother with the 9th and latest version as you can get bargains on older versions in which the major differences may be which photos are used as demonstrations of a point.

If you really really can only buy one book, get this. Somehow it cost only US$30 here in Singapore. There's no better book on general photography than this for any amount of money.The book generalised photography and yet does not skimp on any topics, there's just enough for one to know about any form of photography and that's the good thing about it. It links all aspects of photography together and makes one appreciates other forms of photography not previously explored.It helps to get specialised books to further enhance specific topics, like John Shaw's Profrssional Field Techniques, Landscape Photography; Jim Zuckerman Natural Light Photography; Another excellent book on general photo techniques is Lee Frost's A-Z of Creative Photography. There are many other great photography books that I keep, for reference and leisure reading. - Beginners Guide - Creative Photography - Composition - Canon'

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Awesome Movie - holocaust movies, movie

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THE OTHER WOMAN is a film that is a bit difficult to watch both because of the thematic material and because of the uneven quality of the film itself. Based on the novel LOVE AND OTHER IMPOSSIBLE PURSUITS by Ayelet Waldman (the original release of this film in 2009 used this title) and adapted for the screen by writer/director Don Roos, the story deals with SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), divorce, step-parenting, the legal vagaries that surround divorce and remarriage, and loss. One of the reasons the film didn't make it on first theater release is that it was advertised as 'A comedy/drama that details the story of a woman's difficult relationship with her stepson.' Yes, that is a small part of the story, but this film is hardly a comedy and in fact it seems to have difficulty in deciding just what the main story is!



The opening credits begin with images of an infant girl but as soon as the action begins we are introduced to Emilia (Natalie Portman) and her husband Jack (Scott Cohen) and son William (Charlie Tahan) There is an undefined tension that is soon explained through flashbacks: Emilia fell in love with Jack who was married to OB/GYN physician Carolyne (Lisa Kudrow) and the love affair quickly developed into Jack's divorcing Carolyne and marrying Emilia. The newlyweds promptly had a baby girl who lived only three days, leaving Emilia in a prolonged state of grieving and denial. Carolyne is a controlling viper and makes the couple's life miserable, refusing complete visitation privileges with William, creating a toxic relationship between Emilia and her 'stepson' William. Emilia's friends (Lauren Ambrose and Anthony Rapp) try to make Emilia's life easier but the friction between Emilia and William as well as the constant interference by Carolyne eventually lead to a collapse in Emilia's and Jack's relationship. Some 'truths' come out about the death of Jack an Emilia's daughter and the response to those statements changes everyone in the story - including Emilia's divorced mother and father. Lessons in how to forgive and how to love complete the story.



Natalie Portman proves her acting chops in this difficult, multidimensional role and her performance is enhanced by that of Charlie Tahan as the young William. The rest of the cast is not of the same caliber, failing to make us care about their characters enough to find their significance in this rocky script. Though there are many flaws in the film making it seem to drag on too long (almost two hours), the opportunity to see the gradual growth of the acting career of Natalie Portman is reason enough to watch this little New York relationship drama. Grady Harp, April 11 The Other Woman

Can you love someone's son after you lost your daughter? Emilia's (Portman) relationship with her husbands son is strained after the death of thier 3 day old daughter. To make matters worse his ex wife (Kudrow) is doing her best to turn the son against her. This is a very heartbreaking movie to watch and it is a little difficult to make it through. Much more devastating then "Rabbit Hole". Portman is incredible in this and actually should have won the Oscar for this and not "Black Swan" (though she did deserve it). Although this is a very hard movie to get through it is entirely worth it and you will be glad you watched it. This is not a typical Hollywood movie and that's why it is so good. Very heart-wrenching and moving. It will make you examine your life to decide what is important. When you watch this make sure you don't have plans after, it will bring you down, though the ending is a little uplifting. I really enjoyed this movie, much more then I thought I would. I give it an A.



Would I watch again? - I might, but it would be tough.



*Also try - Rabbit Hole & Step Mom

Being well intentioned doesn't always translate to being great. As Don Roos' "The Other Woman" deals with a sensitive and painful subject, it may seem easy to overlook all the chaotic and unconvincing elements of the film. I'm a Roos fan. He won me over with the eccentric, but hysterical, "The Opposite of Sex" and the charming, but flawed, "Happy Endings." So I was eager to jump into his more serious side with this film. There are some lovely successes within the movie, but there are just as many moments that don't connect. Ultimately, I found the movie to be frustrating. I wanted to love it, I just didn't. A big portion of the film would merit 5 stars as noted below, but the picture never comes together as a cohesive whole.



Centered around Natalie Portman, the film chronicles a family tale of grief and perseverance. Portman is generally unsympathetic as she blithely enters into an affair with a married man (Scott Cohen), becomes pregnant, breaks up his marriage and weds him herself, and then loses the baby. Reeling from the aftermath of this tragedy, she still tries to hold the relationship together and forge a bond with her difficult stepson. I loved Portman's every day persona and the fact that Roos didn't attempt to make her the lovable heroine. Her character played as a complex and real person, and so the grief scenes had much more poignancy. Her budding friendship with stepson Charlie Tahan is easily the most convincing, multi-layered, and fascinating part of the movie. Both actors play off each other exceedingly well--and the interplay is refreshingly free of cliche. As the heart of the movie, this aspect really works.



But in the peripheral details, the film starts to go a bit south. Lisa Kudrow (a Roos staple) is underserved as a screechy, horrendous harridan. She is the woman scorned and Tahan's real mother, but her heightened over-the-top performance lacks subtlety and believability. The screenplay just doesn't support this woman as a real person. In fact, it borders on downright painful as if she mirrored her vocal patterns to imitate the Wicked Witch. Portman has two co-workers that seem significant, but are completely undeveloped. The chemistry between Portman and Cohen is minimal at best--they fly into an affair without even a noticeable flirtation. The movie never asks us to deal with the fact that Portman is really an ethically ambiguous character (bordering on unkind). I guess we're supposed to accept this moral defect (or simple indifference, it would appear most times) as her having the requisite "daddy issues"--another subplot that is not handled with much grace or subtlety.



But still, when the movie works--it works. And Portman and Tahan score big in their scenes together. I'm glad that this film struck an emotional chord with audiences relating to the grief of a mother losing her child. It's a difficult subject handled with some dignity here. But these moments of raw power were overshadowed, for me, by many of the issues listed above. A nice effort that works despite its limitations, this was about 3 1/2 stars for my taste--but in this case, I'll round up for good intentions. KGHarris, 5/11. - Holocaust Movies - Movie - Drama'

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Call Of Duty - battlefield, black ops

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The Greatest Hits version does not come with the VIP code, so you're missing out on a year's worth of DLC. Additionally, despite purchasing the VIP access from the PSN store, I was still not able to access VIP content. This is a complete waste of money compared to the Ultimate Edition. Battlefield Bad Company 2 - Greatest Hits - Call Of Duty - Battlefield - Bad Company 2 - Black Ops'

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Finish Nailer - grex, finish nailer

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Normally I wouldn't bother with a gun for pins this small, but my elbow has been acting up, and faced with a lot of detail nailing for glue up I went looking for a pin nailer. As luck would have it, I had an opportunity to compare several. One of these was the Senco.



I have several Senco nailers and like them all but I find that, while the heavy duty Senco nailer are trustworthy machines, the light duty models are a bit underbuilt. This is the case with the Senco FinishPro 10. It worked fine most of the time, but when pinning from underneath it jammed several times in a series of about 150 shots. That is the first time I've had that problem with a Senco, and it's a pain to unjam.



Another thing I didn't like about this gun was the lack of a safety. This is as much a hobbyist's gun as it is anything else, which means it will get used by folks who aren't used to this kind of tool. Flying 23 gauge pins can do serious damage even if they are small. I also didn't like having to manually set pin length - something I'm a cinch to forget (more jams). One characteristic of all of the guns in this category is the need to operate them at full pressure if you want to drive the pin below the surface. And that isn't always effective.



My conclusion is that Senco's decision to make this an inexpensive tool kept it from being of the same high quality as Senco's other nailers. If price is your main driver the FP 10 will do, but if you need a high level of dependability, look further. Senco FinishPro 10 1/2-Inch to 1-Inch 23-Gauge Micro Pinner

I installed some cabinetry at home and used this tool beased on the reviews here to attach the scribes and delicate trim to these expensive hard maple cabinets. It worked like a charm. Never misfired, set the pins perfectly, no botched pins or split wood. Can't even see the holes, so its easier than gluing or puttying holes for an 18 gage nailer. The nails/pins should be loaded one way only, and a few drops of oil at the beginning of the project keeps this gun performing flawlessly. No problems whatsoever.

I bought this to fasten window trim into a timber framed glass wall I built. I had some really tiny windows in the wall that only had room for a nail gun with a max size of 7". I used this tool and it worked perfect. I have since used it for all sorts of stuff like nailing really small trim and shooting some "temporary" pins in odd shaped things I am gluing up so that I could attach a clamp. The nail holes are reall small and you probably don't need to patch the holes unless you are painting the finish product white. I have used this tool on just about every job I've done in the last few months. If you do any finish carpentry, you really should have one of these.

I bought this micro pinner for rustic work. I build alot of Adirondack rustic style items which require small diameter twigs to be fastened. Brad nailers are often too large for the job, and hand nailing with small brads is tricky at best. This pinner is absolutely perfect! I have been able to fasten twigs as small as 1/8" diameter to plywood and other wood surfaces with absolutely no splitting (of course it's a little tricky to get the pin centered in a twig this small). The little pins also have a pretty good amount of holding power.The Senco FP 10 is very light, has a nice design, and is a breeze to use. However, I was very surprised, and somewhat disappointed to find that, unlike my other Senco Nailers, this one is Taiwanese. I purchased it because I knew the Porter Cable was Taiwanese, and I wanted an American made product like my other Sencos. Given that the FP 10 is advertised as a professional tool, I never would have expected it to be an import.Only time will tell if it holds up as well as other Senco nailers.The other disappointment is that you need to oil this nailer, again, unlike other Senco products.All in all, for the price and for what it is designed to do, the tool is a good buy. Senco, of course, does not include any fasteners in the box, nor do they include a cap for the 1/4" NPT fitting (which IS included). The oil bottle is very small, so purchase your fasteners when you purchase the nailer and get extra oil while you're at it.

For those of you who are experiencing jamming, look at a strip of your fasteners and you'll notice several black "arrows". These "arrows" on the fastener strip must be facing down (away from the tool). Once this is done, the fasteners are loaded properly. If not, you will experience jamming. Also, make sure you adjust the height slide tool on top of the fastener magazine to correspond with the lenght of micro pins you are using.

I install high end kitchens for a living. A pin nailer is a necessity for me, but I am still waiting for a good one to come out. I would pay triple the cost of this thing if they would come out with one that doesn't jam or misfire all the time. Picture this, you're holding that crown moulding you just painstakingly cut to perfection and set in place...you hold it with one hand, apply your glue, grab the pinner and while holding both pieces together with one hand you gently ease the pinner to the perfect spot...squeeze slowly and pop. Pull the pinner back, let go and the pieces fall apart. Because the most frustrating tool in your box misfired AGAIN. I swear...I'd trade my new truck for a pinner that worked well.But, like I said...can't live without one.

As a trim carpenter I've used a lot of brad nailers, looking for the best results. When it comes to pinning delicate trim, such as scribe, 1/4" rope molding, or screen molding, even 18 guage brads are often too think and split the material. Not so with this 23 guage pinner. It's perfect for delicate work. I've even started using to install pre-finished crown molding in kitchens, the holes left are so small that I often don't have to putty, and even when the putty doesn't match well, it's nearly impossilbe to find the holes afterward. I highly recommend this gun to anyone who is concerned about the appearnce of nail holes on their finished work. And it's Senco, so you know it will stand up to the test of time and the punishment of constant use. - Nailer - Finish Nailer - Grex - 23 Gauge'

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Woman Vibrator

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"The Technology of Orgasm" is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. Maines' ostensible purpose is an examination of the history of vibrators and other mechanical means to induce female orgasms. This subject is covered in depth and apparent thoroughness, but her real focus is "androcentric" definitions of female sexuality and their cultural and technological repercussions.In witty and humorous language, demonstrating that Maines has mastered post-modernism and even found a use for it, she lampoons men's refusal to recognize that for most women, insertion of a male penis into the vagina followed by a male orgasm is not necessarily a complete sexual experience. In droll tones, Maines discusses the long-held male claim, supported by what was called science, that if a woman did not achieve an orgasm from sexual penetration by a male, she was not "normal," although some 80% or more of women were thus "abnormal." And never mind that 80% of a population cannot, by definition, be abnormal. Maines is a good historian, and she recounts the historical medicalization of female orgasm, terming its inducement "the job nobody wanted." For hundreds of years, physicians or midwives were paid to stimulate manually the clitoris of women suffering from "hysteria" and thereby to bring about a therapeutic paroxism. Since this was a time-consuming task, doctors turned to hydrotherapy and then to electric powered vibrators to shorten the time necessary to induce such relief on each patient. HMOs would be proud.This is a book on a serious topic in western cultural history that could have been androphobic or, worse, terribly dull. Instead,it charms and educates with wit and erudition. I hated to see it end. The Technology of Orgasm: "Hysteria," the Vibrator, and Women's Sexual Satisfaction (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology)

for centuries, troubled -- or troubling -- women were diagnosed with "hysteria." the classic treatment for this vague malady was inducement of the "hysteric paroxysm" -- known to us contemporary types as the orgasm. according to rachel maines's wryly hilarious history, the first mechanical vibrators were labor-saving devices for doctors tired of inducing orgasm in their patients manually. who knew? this book is clearly her dissertation & primarily intended for academics, but i found it mind-blowing & frequently quite amusing. i frequently recommend it to friends & colleagues looking for a quick, smart, engaging read.

For her pains (the book took 20 years to research and write), according to Wired magazine, the author was apparently promptly sacked from the faculty of Clarkson U on publication. :( A great pity and another blow for academic freedom on subjects around sexuality.

There was an irony and sadness to the truth that in the face of immense male denial of women's actual sexual physical workings in intimate relationships and in male psychological advice, there was this actual historical presence of awareness by male physicians of how our bodies work, albeit at such an unintimate distance it almost can't count as awareness. It was as if our bodies were like machines.Great research. Essentail reading for everyone.

Anyone who reads social histories, biographies of Victorian women or historical fiction must eventually ask this question, "What the heck is neurasthenia and how come nobody ever gets it anymore?" The plague of wealthy Victorian women simply disappeared without a trace in the 1920s. Why? Finally -- here's your answer.

* *The dustjacket of Rachel P. Maines's new book, THE TECHNOLOGY OF ORGASM: "HYSTERIA", THE VIBRATOR & SEXUAL SATISFACTION, reads as follows: -*-*- From the time of Hippocrates until the 1920s, massaging "hysterical" female patients to orgasm was a staple of medical practice among Western physicians. Hysteria...was thought to be the consequence of sexual deprivation. Doctors performed the "routine chore" of relieving hysterical patients' symptoms with manual genital massage until the woman reached orgasm, or as it was known under clinical conditions, the "hysterical paroxysm". The vibrator first emerged as an electromechanical medical instrument in direct response to demand from physicians who, far from enjoying the implementation of pelvic massage, sought every opportunity to substitute the services of midwives and, later, the efficiency of mechanical devices... Invented in the late 1880s by a British physician, the vibrator was popular with turn-of-the-century doctors as a quick, efficient cure for hysteria which neither fatigued the therapist nor demanded skills which were difficult to acquire... Hysterical women presented a large and lucratve clientele for doctors, and vibrators reduced, from about one hour to ten minutes, the time required for a physician to produce results, significantly increasing the number of patients he could treat in the course of a single workday. These women were ideal patients in that they never recovered nor died from their condition but continued to require regular medical "treatment". -*-*--0-0-0-0-That male doctors were freely encouraged to perform sexual acts upon female patients is startling when compared to today's more regulated climate, and it inspires these observations:* The vibrator was not an amorous invention - no Cupid's dart - but a labour-saving clinical instrument to substitute for undesirable professional tedium the more desirable swellings of the wallet. Improved productivity is good for business.* Doctors were well-rewarded, respectable gigolos, weary as whores of the endless daily parade of hungry genitals and their distressed owners. Today, they would go to jail.* Activities that otherwise would be considered odd, transgressive, or exciting are permitted when they can be defined as, or safely packaged within, "medicine" or "science", controlled and validated by bourgeois professionals. This can be liberating as well as oppressive: clinical authority can licence the forbidden while defending the status quo, such as relations between the sexes. The clinic is where we pay strangers to intrude intimately into all our velvet cavities - wearing latex - bringing fresh meaning to the phrase, "the doctor is in". Quickly nurse, the proctoscope!* The doctor-patient relationship oppressed both parties yet remains charged with voyeuristic eroticism for the reader, paradoxically and perversely enhanced by references to the austere boredom of the clinician. The erotic relationship is toned by the pornographic whiff produced through the opposing tensions of: dominance and submission; demand and supply; buying and selling; need and numbness; control and abandon; restraint and convulsion; energy and fatigue; humiliation and relief; shame and paroxysm; tender, desiring flesh, and the subtly-perverse coupling of mechanical insult and pleasure. The clinical drama delivers a secret misogyny to be savoured as a thrilling, guilty vice by both sexes - a stolen cream bun for the soul. Spanking cures this sort of thing.* All of this occurred under conditions in which the only female orgasm recognised as "true" was the sometimes elusive one produced vaginally through intercourse with a male. The more independent and easily achieved clitoral orgasm was belittled as secondary and "immature" [see Freud]. This attitude supported male sexual necessity, authority, and privilege: only a cock can make a real woman of you - it's a magic wand. Today, women buy their own magic wands and connect them to the power station, harnessing those giant turbines and nuclear rods to their appetites.* It is widely recognised that some mental conditions are treated by electric shock but less broadly advertised is that others were alleviated by electric cock.'

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