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Classic
Ahh, what can you say about 'Escape From New York'. When it comes to B Action movies this is as good as it gets, which is pretty damn good, as it turns out. Snake is just about the coolest action hero around in what is the definitive Kurt Russell role. The acting as a whole is very entertaining, and this has got a cast like no other film: Kurt Russell, Donald Pleasance, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine, Harry Dean Stanton, Lee Van Cleef and so on. It's not often that you'll come across a movie of this sort where every role of any consequence is played by someone you've heard of. The appeal of this film comes substantially from the characters and acting, which is quite unusual for a film of this sort, and probably what makes it a cut above the competition, as it still works on the more traditional levels as well. 'Escape From New York' is actually surprisingly slow and moody, not nearly as action-oriented as you might anticipate, but it certainly never drags and is always a load of fun. Technically speaking this film is pretty impressive considering when it was made and its moderate budget. (7 mil, I'm told.) As CGI becomes ever more common and senselessly elaborate this sorta classic, practical stuff just becomes more and more interesting. Carpenter shot this in widescreen, as always, which gives the film an added level of finesse and class. (Again, as always.) Carpenter did the score here too, and it's simple and minimalistic but effective enough in its way and charmingly dated. I particularly enjoy the opening theme, too bad it doesn't get repeated more.I haven't gotten around to checking out the stuff on this DVD, but the picture itself, which is the only thing that matters much to me anyway, seems excellent considering the age of the film. The packaging itself is rather nice looking and classy, I think.Yeah, this is good stuff. Carpenter's career has been pretty uneven, but this film along with 'Halloween' and 'The Thing' earn him his substantial reputation. (Well, his substantial reputation amongst genre movie fans, anway.) Check it out.Grade: A- | 45 stars
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One of the best Java books I've ever read
Java can be intimidating, but Rogers Cadenhead makes sure that it isn't. "This Java programming stuff is a lot easier than it looks," he writes in the book's funny introduction, "I'm not supposed to tell you that, because there are thousands of programmers who have used their Java skills to get high-paying jobs in software development, internet programming, and e-commerce. The last thing any of them want is for their bosses to know that anyone who has persistence and a little free time can learn this language..."Cadenhead keeps his explanations simple, so the reader never feels lost. Each chapter is very clear, yet they're short enough that he really can teach you Java in just 24 short hours. And yes, he sprinkles humor throughout the chapters, which keeps the whole book feeling lively. To illustrate how Java implements arithmetic, he defines a Java object named Elvis, representing "a fictional person whose weight loss and gain can be tracked with mathematical expressions..."I tried nearly a dozen Java books to find one with the right "tone," and this is the one that's become my favorite. The chapters all go by fast, so it gets you "up and running" nice and quick. Einstein once said that you have to understand a topic deeply before you're able to explain it simply. Reading this book, I got the feeling that Rogers Cadenhead is a very intelligent man who is doing just that: He's cheerfully distilling Java down to its clear, simple essence.And even though this book was originally written many years ago, the author still maintains its web site, where you can view sample code and possible solutions to the exercises at the end of each chapter. And remember, it's a lot cheaper now than a newer book would be, while still teaching you all the basics of the Java language. Since releasing this book, the author's released some new books about Java, which I'm also hoping to read. But that's really just a testament to how much I liked this book...This book was simple and clear, concise and complete, and instead of being intimidating, it's fun. Each chapter ends with a good review summary, along with some useful "activities" you can use to practice what you've learned. And there's also funny multiple choice quizzes at the end of the chapter which review the biggest points, offering you some silly alternate choices that break the tension, and that might even help you remember some of the newer vocabulary words. I'd recommend this book if you're looking for a fun but intelligent read that makes Java seem clear and simple. | 45 stars
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Everything I thought & more
Outstanding product and in perfect shape, I would never guess it's refurbished. The computer interface is very straight forward and easy to use. It takes some time to get the activity macros working exactly the way you want, but it's worth the time. It's so versatile that it will be a long time before I need to buy a new remote. | 45 stars
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Gold is a ripp off
I bought this and I regret it, what is the point of Gold subscription, to watch netflix, and Lebrons family TV show? I wish I had bought PS Plus instead - go Japan! btw Windows 8 is awful! | 12 stars
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Old, Fun Movie
We love this old, fun movie. We had it on VHS and wanted it on DVD. We hope they come out with more. | 45 stars
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A martyr's words
Deep thinker who reasons with exceptional clarity. I may not agree with his views; but, he makes me think. Only detraction is that the work is translated into English by someone who doesn't make the work easier to understand. | 45 stars
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Review: Poison Study
I have had my eye on this book for quite some time. Everytime I go to Border's I see it, but I already have my hands full and say next time instead of just grabbing it. So I saw it the other day and I said, alright it's time you need to read this book now, so I bought it. Well, it was definitely amazing. I have been looking for books that grab my attention from the get go and this one did. It's so interesting and unique. A couple of things reminded me of The Hunger Games though the books are nothing alike, but this one came out three years prior to THG so its still very unique in my mind. I love the main lead Yelena. She's had a rough time, and it's like everything that comes her way is terrible, even the semi-good things. And I love Valek. He's spytacular(get it, he's a spy..), the best of the best, gorgerous and mysterious. How can you not love him???It seemed like everytime I thought I had something figured out I was getting caught by surprise! I found myself saying stuff outloud like "NO WAY!" or "HE CAN'T DO THAT!" Yes, that would be my voice raised... heh lol.. I can't believe I didn't buy Magic Study at the same time because now it's one of the few things I want to read. Luckily I have one thing to hold me over(thank god you're here The Iron King) but once that's over it's to the store for me, and i'm buying both Magic Study and Fire Study.. I'm not playing any games with this one! One super awesome plus side of waiting so long to read it is the books are all out, which means no waiting months to find out what happens next! With that said, I think you all know how I feel. Snyder weaves an adventurous tale full of action, suspense, romance, sabatage and more. And while it obviously has some paranormal magic going on, it's not overpowering at all. This is going into my all time favorites shelf... once they get organized that is!What are you waiting for go read this series!! | 45 stars
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A sizzling, smoking hot CD by the dominatrix supreme
This CD may be Madonna's best music session yet, which is saying plenty. The title song kicks off this all-star recording and there isn't a break or let-up at all for the duration of the disc. Madonna's music seems to jump out and grab listeners with the uptempo rhythms and tricky but elaborate bass runs and split-second timing as she coos and cuddles and whispers about her needs, wants and deepest, darkest desires. Wherever she's coming from, Madonna is in a class by herself and her music is superb. This CD pulsates all the way through and is aces. | 45 stars
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If they are going punk, why is it so commercial?
The boys of blink-182 said they were going back to their earlier punk style, but I don't hear it. The music is good, but it sounds like refined pop-punk more than ever. Also, the lyrics target adolecents and teens, which is cool...for adolecents and teens. Maybe I was just hoping, when they said they were going back, it meant to the good ol' days of sounds like those on Chesire Cat. Chesire Cat wasn't polished by a big record company for mainstream audiences. Take of Your Pants and Jacket is--which makes it pop, and not punk. | 23 stars
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The duree: life-flow
Bergson, all the rage in the early 1900's, has now been rediscovered,thanks in part to the work of Deleuze et al. Time and Free Will is a great exemplar of Bergson's work and his idea of the duree and the spatialization of time. Bergson presents to the reader an energetic flux which is the precondition of our more vulgar concept of time. With this flux, the past is pulled along by the future and presented to consciousness in the present as a heterogeneous conglomeration, inseperable and uncategorizable. It is this work which inspired the stream of consciousness novelists, especially Proust. But the most remarkable element of Time and Free Will is its demand on the reader to live the duree, to return to the duree and forget oneself in it. The goal is freedom and authenticity and this can only be achieved when letting oneself go, flying like a bird, and despatializing time. This book does not only open the door to phenomenology, but it also contributes in a significant way to french existentialist thought. | 45 stars
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Exciting and well written -- My favorite book this year
This is a great read, whether on the beach, on vacation or at home on a quiet evening. Whatever your location, this will transport you to a compelling world that will keep your interest to the last page. And since this is the first book in what promises to be a great trilogy, I'm sure there will be a lot of fans waiting with bated breath for Book II.I have given it to a lot of my friends and we have had a number of vigorous discussions regarding the book's disturbing but plausible premise that the omnipresent and expanding role of electronic data tracking, from traffic and security cameras that can read license plates to credit card data mining, has a potentially sinister side and more potential for privacy abuse than many realize.As to the author's famous anonymity, I say more power to him for refusing to join the media circus and cult of celebrity that accompanies many bestsellers. Many can't resist the lure of personal media appearances and book signing junkets, but John Twelve Hawks rejects such distractions and states in an interesting written interview by the Literary Guild: "I want people to focus on the book itself and not on its author. The typical 'personal slant' of most media arts coverage trivializes the power of ideas - and there are a great many provocative ideas in this novel."Interestingly, some articles are now saying the author's anonymity is hurting the marketability of the book, rather than being a publicity ploy as some are claiming. I say this is all the more reason to support this invisible yet gifted writer. I wonder if the minority of negative and (in my opinion) unduly harsh customer reviews aren't, at bottom, driven by those who may be uncomfortable with the political ramifications of John Twelve Hawks' vision.Since some of you may not have linked to the great review of the book on the amazon.co.uk site, Here it is:"Amazon.co.uk Review"Sometimes--not very often--a debut novel comes along which marks out a new writer as a consummate craftsman, seemingly fully formed with that first book. The Traveller is such a book; the mysterious John Twelve Hawks is such a writer (his publishers give no information about him, except that he `lives off the grid')."The first thing that strikes the reader about this unusual novel is its ambitious panoply, which is as exuberantly international as one could wish, moving through a vividly realised Prague, London and Los Angeles. His characters are disparate but characterised with great individuality, such as the brothers Gabriel and Michael Corrigan, who have been brought up in Los Angeles under the mesmerising spell of their fey father; he appears to possess certain unnatural powers. After he dies a violent death, the brothers vanish off the grid of society, living in a clandestine underworld. Meanwhile, in London, Maya is a self-possessed young woman whose everyday life conceals a strange secret: she is the last of a dynasty whose responsibility is to protect those in the human race who are differently gifted. She is called to Prague by her sick father, and learns about Gabriel and Michael, whose lives are now in serious danger. In California, a desperate race against time begins: who will track down the brothers first--the protective Maya or the murderous Boone?"Readers tired of the parochial thriller that has held sway in Britain for so long will embrace this intoxicating (if outrageously unlikely) novel with open arms. True, a certain suspension of disbelief is required, but Twelve Hawks is the kind of writer who is able to persuade even the most sceptical among us. A remarkable debut.--Barry ForshawNew York Times`Page-turningly swift with a cliff-hanger ending...A cyber 1984' "I agree and would recommend this book to anyone with a desire not only to read a fun and exciting thriller, but also who isn't afraid of reading something that will, perhaps, lead them to look on the world with new eyes. | 45 stars
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Better than "Fallen"
"Fallen" is a great album, and "The Open Door" picks up where it's predecessor left off. A creative blend of melodic elements, grinding guitar, Amy Lee's piano work, stunning vocals and murky lyrics work very well to make the band's best effort to date. | 45 stars
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Amazing!
This book was in one word phenomenal! It was just perfect. With a great storyline, I recommend this to anyone looking for something fun and exciting to read | 45 stars
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cool-kick ass book
This book is the greatest, and a must have to introduce you into the world of Middle Earth. | 45 stars
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good price, slow delivery
The price for this jersey was the best we could find (after a lot of on line shopping comparison. The delivery was slower than I thought it should be. | 23 stars
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Very comfortable and an excellent value
I'm not an audiophile par excellence, but I do know a thing or two about comfort. I bought the less expensive Sony MDR-V150 headphones for a song, and returned them after a couple of weeks because the darned things were very tight and uncomfortable. I would say that this MDR-CD280 is about the same in terms of quality, but leaps and bounds better in terms of comfort. I can wear these all day long and not even know they are on. And music sounds great. If you don't want to spend too much, and you want comfort, you've found the right product. | 45 stars
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I can read it over and over.
I recommend this book for all to read if you are a romanticist. This book is about chivalry, friendship, total loyalty among sisters and most of all true love over coming obstacles of power and money. I love the part when she is confronted by the Aunt and all her responses. She is sharp to the point and remains a Lady. | 45 stars
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Great album. Please don't compare!
I feel compelled to respond to many of the reviews of this album that suggest "saving your money and buying the original Nebraska album", etc, etc. Does anyone actually think the point is to compare this project to the original Nebraska album? It's a tribute abum, isn't it?Springsteen's masterpiece is a spare, moving account of the American dream's casualties for working class America, with all its heartache, violence, and redemption. It's dark and beautiful and you want to hear it over once you've got to the end of it, endlessly. But l;et's not forget that's why these artists are honoring him and these songs in the first place. With that said, I really love this tribute record. It's done with taste, in the album's original order, and features some great artists doing rather daring and original takes on songs (including some nice duets) that have been covered very rarely over the past 25 years. The album even includes some wonderful bonus tracks! What more could you want? If I had to make a criticism, perhaps it would be that the songs don't flow as smoothly together as the original LP, but how could it really? The songs here are meant in the end, I think, to be taken singly and reveal the depth and scope of this one album's influence on an unlikely cast of living characters, many of whom are producing great music today. Maybe we should all be a bit more grateful and just have a little bit of fun with this one... | 34 stars
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You'll Talk About It Now As They Did Back Then!
One of the best things about this DVD is a featurette that looks back on the cultural impact of "Fatal Attraction" and reaction to such back in the late 80's, particularly in regards to the feminist movement. Equally valuable is the inclusion of the originally filmed ending that had to be re-shot due to poor test screenings. Watching it, it is easy to understand why the new ending was more viewer-friendly than its artistically superior predecessor. In essence, you get to be the judge. All in all though, this is a good edition of one of the most popular and talked about Hollywood thrillers of the last twenty years. The story of what happens when a casual one-night stand destroys the life of one man and his innocent family is the sort of stuff that most will find intriguing for ages to come. It is definitely a film that prompts conversation and discussion after viewing it. Taut, albeit being somewhat formulaic and predictable, the movie benefits from an all out performance by Glenn Close as the notorious "other woman" with a Madame Butterfly complex (the latter is explored more on the original ending). This role was certainly a high point of Close's career, and rightly so. In retrospect, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role. Hearing her speak about it in the included interviews fifteen years later is very interesting, especially when it comes to her not-so-subltle defense of the original ending. The controversy lives on! | 34 stars
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Soundtrack - High Society
My husband was delighted to receive this original movie soundtrack from High Society as he thought it was not available anywhere. | 45 stars
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awesome!!
the taste of these shots is not too bad,and the rush i get during the workout is amazing!i usually try not to incorporate caffeine in my workout but i do now.great product. | 45 stars
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I went out happy!
We watched the beginning of this movie in school, and I wanted to see it all! I rented it, and it was GREAT. I then went to the WIZ and got the Widescreen version! {Well, thats all they had.} The film though was more like a PG rated film instead of an R rated film. Oh yeah, it's safe for the family. | 45 stars
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Typically incredible Blades with Son de Solar.
No one else mixes rhythm, politics and emotions quite like he does. He doesn't have the greatest voice on the planet, but everything he sings rings so true, who cares? And anyway, you sure can dance to it. | 45 stars
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Through A Glass Darkly...wonderful
I really hated to see this book end. Wonderful descriptions of the 1700 era of England and France.It really feels like you are "there". | 45 stars
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Excellent!
It's good to see that Chris Carter is finally assembling a collection of the mythology episodes that formed the core of the X-Files storyline. Although many humorous stand alones will be left out, these collections are no doubt much, much cheaper than the box sets, most of which are over 60 dollars!!!! | 45 stars
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This was a boring book....
This book was a great dissapointment. What I wanted was a light, funny read. What I got was a semi-depressing bore. I had never heard of this book, or of the hype others had mentioned. I was bored and needed a book, ran to my nearest warehouse club and bought this. I think back and I bought it because it seemed similar to The Nanny Diaries which I found interesting and very funny.Andrea is NOT a believable character. She is saccharin sweet and a bore. We are lead to believe that she is a saint and doesnt deserve such abuse. Well QUIT!!! That is what I kept thinking through the whole book! QUIT, QUIT, QUIT!! And she should have followed the old addage "If it is too good to be true, it probably is" referring to her interview and job.Also, the whole looking at the woman and the fashion world down her nose with disdain,but, managing to "score" high priced items was so annoying to me. I just felt the "saint" Andrea was a hypocrite and was begging to be a doormat. | 12 stars
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Very good at chopping nuts
We had this very nut chopper for about 3 years when it broke. We immediately replaced it with the same one because 3 years is plenty of life from a $15 nut chopper, and it is incredibly good at chopping nuts. | 45 stars
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haunting and evocative
Wuthering Height is a beautifully written novel. It does stand as a timeless classic to be read at any price. | 45 stars
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Maybe You Have to Live It to Appreciate It
In "Blood on the Sun," James Cagney plays an expat newspaper editor who discovers Japan's plot for world domination. Made in 1945, the film is a bully piece of wartime propaganda--but it also has surprising depth. It isn't PC, but it's not all stereotype either. There are some real Asians in the film, the plot is a true story, and not all the Japanese are evil. That said, yes, there are a lot of quasi-offensive squinty-eyed caucasians with fake buck teeth in the film, too.Cagney does a very good job as the editor. A bundle of self-assured energy, as ever, he nonetheless adds depth by trying to speak a bit of Japanese and Mandarin, and by doing some very credible judo. Matter of fact, his judo coach was LAPD's Jack Halloran, who also took a role in this flick and went on to become a regular Hollywood character actor!The movie is filmed almost entirely in sets at the studio, which is unsurprising. Nevertheless, it looks fairly good. In fact, the "expat bar" set is a faithful reproduction of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed bar at the old Imperial Hotel in Tokyo!Cagney was just coming off an Oscar and just out of contract with WB Studios. Here, he and his brother produced, and they did a decent job. In short, the films hold up. Not a major classic, but an exciting potboiler! And as a correction to various reviewers, the film takes place neither in "post-WWII Japan" nor "The 1920's" but in the 30's.As a personal aside, I served many years as a US diplomat in Communist China--another ruthless east Asian dictatorship. Maybe some other viewers will find the Japanese officials in Blood on the Sun to be too fake, smarmy, and banal. I found them pretty realistic! | 34 stars
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"Merengue a medias"
It is a shame that after the international hit "Suavemente" the following Elvis Crespo's albums have not the same quality. Nowadays, E.C. is considered one the greatest merenge singers; however, the quality of his albums is decresing ("Pintame" is an example). | 12 stars
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My Faith Is Restored
The many reviews here give ample evidence for the excellence of this film. While the film is very enjoyable in and of itself, the Director's Commentary track on the DVD must not be missed for aspiring film makers and artists. Aronofsky gives insight not only to his inspirations but to production problems and solutions that were encountered within his meagre $60,000 budget.That a great film can be executed by such a talented director and cast within such restraints renews my faith in the movie arts. Excellent film. | 45 stars
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Wobots Christmas
WOW. I was shocked at how well written this movie was. The storyline was very nice. It told the reason for Christmas in such a simple way for young children to start to grasp why we have Christmas. I would say it is a must for your young childs dvd library. | 45 stars
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Excellent Book!
Compton Thomas MacKenna makes a video announcing his last will and testament. Because if his nephew's totallywasteful lifestyle he has decided to disinherit them. They are off into every vice on earth and have squandered several small fortunes. He hasmade the decision to leave his estate to his neice Kate MacKenna. He has beenestranged from her but admires her ability to manage and make money. His estate is worth over $80 million dollars.After this video is made things start to pick up for Kate. She is at a art gallery showing when she is nearly killed by a bomb blast. A little while later she is nearly killed again by an explosion at a building. Her car is totalled. While visiting a friend in Boston she strikes uo a relationship with Dylan Buchannan a childhood friend. He comes to Silver Springs to see who is trying to kill Kate.At the reading of Compton Yhomas MacKenna's will thw suspect list growa in leaps and bounds. The three nephews Ewan,Roger,and Bryce immediately become suspects. This book has an exciting conclusion where the guilty party is revealed. This book has it all,romance,greed and a good crime mystery. Be sure to read it. | 45 stars
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As the line bends . . .
For a species so recently living in the natural world, that some individuals have such a strong desire for order seems anomalous. The more extreme cases view it as an obsession! Where they can't perceive order, they make it up. Then they are able to make an awesome discovery! Even on Mars! Wayne Herschel is one such individual and he's given us a wonderfully illustrated book to tell us all about it. He does it with great relish and enthusiasm. Why not? In his view, he's given us the Answer the Great Mystery: Who are we and where do we come from?He begins, almost inevitably, with the great pyramids of ancient Egypt. Those enigmatic structures have prompted a great number of mystical enquiries. In this instance, they are found to be placed in a special alignment. Several special alignments, according to Herschel. The easy one comes first. For some people, any three-dot alignment must "mean" something. To Herschel, they are representative of the Great Hunter's Belt. The constellation Orion has meant much to many peoples around the world. Not being congenitally blind, the ancient Nile residents observed stellar patterns and made up stories to explain them. To Herschel, this human habit was expressed in the way various sets of pyramids were aligned during construction. He sits down at his computer, loads images of the various pyramids and some maps. Voila! The alignments are neat and "accurate"! "Virtually identical!", a phrase he uses with wearying frequency. Along with "cosmic revelation", with or without the exclamation mark.From ancient Egypt, we tour sites in various places and times. We visit Teotehuacan in Central America. Climb the Andes to see what the Inca were up to in their quest for "cosmic revelations". Crawling through the steamy Burmese jungle, we view a temple that "speaks for itself" - even if the message seems a bit garbled. Brief stops at places like Japan and Greece almost complete the itinerary. However, there's one last significant location left. Don your rocket boots and shed your sense of credibility. We have to go to Mars!Ever since NASA began photographing our red planetary neighbour, the mystics have sought new places to point out as being "special". Herschel is no exception. All the image enhancement and aligning disparate points he offered in Egypt and Guatemala were merely warm-ups for what he "discovers" on Mars. Herschel's computer must have been smoking as he finds "faces" and "pyramids" and "cosmic revelations" he "discovered" in the Martian landscape. Although the "face" on Mars has been shown to be the result of our propensity to visualise "images" in natural formations, Herschel persists. He even provides us with the NASA photo illustrating that the "face" is hills and shadows. Not so!, he says. It's just age and weathering. So he blithely "reconstructs" the "face" to produce something on the order of Agamemnon's death mask. It's quite exhilarating - both to witness how he can manipulate images and contrive evidence to fit his theory.Ah, yes. His "theory". Well, it turns out that there's a "mystery star" out there somewhere. Herschel arranges pointers, pyramids and plenty of exclamation marks to indicate this enigma. We'd better look for it, he exclaims - he does a great deal of exclaiming - because it appears to him that it's where we come from. All evolutionary explanations about our origins are tosh, he argues. Too many false interpretations have led us astray. Herschel claims he has the answers, and science need only follow his clues and directions to ascertain the truth. If he's proven correct, this reviewer will lug his luggage to Stockholm. Barefoot in penance, if so required. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada] | 01 star
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Worthy of five stars and more............
The sound that these four gentlemen are able to produce is amazing. Lyrically speaking, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they're singing about. The typical group of the 21st century isn't too focused on life's more important issues. (Unity, tolerance and acceptance, respect for one another, and the list goes on.) Don't get me wrong. I like all genres of music. I'm not bashing any particular groups. (just to set the record straight.) The reason why I like Creed is because they've establish themselves as more than just your run-of-the mill "rock band." They are without a doubt very talented musicians. Even more important is the message. Thought provoking. As sure as I'm writing this, someone will probably comment, "Who cares about lyrics?" "You think too much." Now here's my question. What's wrong with thinking? | 45 stars
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A Real Tear-jerker
I came across this little book while browsing the Japanese lit section of my local bookstore and although I'd never heard of Mr. Haitani's work before it proved quite rewarding.The story of an inexperienced though extremely earnest young elementary school teacher in a bad part of Kobe who sets out to turn the homeroom from hell into a class of little angels; this book is quite a tear-jerker.The story is set on 'the wrong side of the tracks' at a dirty and neglected elementary school situated right next door to a garbage disposal plant. Most of the students are the children of the disposal plant workers, and they live and play amidst the filth and squalor of the plant; catching rats and pigeons, scrapping with each other, and sometimes scamming the other students for money to buy food when Dad gambles or drinks away his pay check. The view this book offers is a far cry from the spic and span, regimented image most people have of Japanese schools.The story begins with young Miss Kotani taking the reins of a first grade classroom only to retreat to the teachers' room before the end of the day in tears, after a student named Tetsuzo kills the pet frog the children were raising for a nature project. Although terrified of the boy (who later attacks her and one of his classmates as well) she is determined not to see him as a bad child, and with the help of a gruff but loveable senior teacher Mr. Adachi (known as the Yakuza teacher); she sets out to befriend him and the other disposal plant children.Over the course of the book she becomes close to the plant children, by listening to them and treating them with respect where previous teachers had thought of them as human garbage and refused to allow them to help at meal times for fear they would contaminate the school lunches. She shares their lives and learns that even the seemingly bizarre and uncommunicative Tetsuzo (he rarely says more than yeah, no, or uh-huh) has something to offer in the form of an encyclopaedic knowledge of flies which he later puts to good use to help a local business.Although the characters are somewhat cliched, the dialogue rather contrived (or perhaps just badly translated), and the plot as a whole sappy in the extreme, there's no denying that this is a very touching, heart-warming, and affirming book that will have you in tears for pages at a time. I recommend it highly to anyone who wants to have a good cry. | 34 stars
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What's In A Name?
The market for baby name books must indeed be cut-throat. I mean, they're either THE VERY BEST BABY NAME BOOK (as claimed here) or THE ONLY BABY NAME BOOK YOU'll EVER NEED, or THE LAST WORD ON FIRST NAMES! Yikes! How daunting for those prospective parents who feel the need for such a guide. (I don't know how my own parents named EIGHT kids without ever purchasing such a book, but back then, I guess, people trusted their own instincts and sense of good taste).Of course, back in the 50s and 60s, there were naming trends but not this near frenzy to be unique and original (but not so original as to be downright WEIRD), so the pressure wasn't so great. Nowadays, you gotta give the kid the right name, get him/her in the right pre-school and modern dance class and into a college prep program by age four or their lives will be ruined (and it'll be ALL your fault).Bruce Lansky is nothing if not comprehensive, so for those seeking variety in naming, there will certainly be an abundance here. Of course, one of the book's selling points is the sheer number of names offered, but Lansky knows and you know that 99% are things most parents would NEVER even consider. It's nice to see what the most popular names in Bulgaria are, but most of them really won't fly at that trendy pre-school after all.A look at the '91 edition (back when it was simply THE *BEST* BABY NAME BOOK (IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD) is instructive. Back the first name listed in the girls' section was (as you might guess) "Abbey, Abby." This time out, you have such exotica as 'Aolani and 'Aulani preceding (taking precedence, I guess, because there is an apostrophe BEFORE the actual "A"). Then you get the letter "A" by itself, followed by "Aaleyah" and "Aaliah" (listed as separate names, which certainly boosts the count). And you get "Aaron": I guess because somebody somewhere once named their baby girl "Aaron" (when they were going for "Erin" maybe?). You get the picture. Oddly enough "Abbey" and "Abby" are still given only one listing, and this time out are even joined by "Abbie." But now "Abagail," "Abbagail," "Abbigail," "Abbygail," and "Abegail" have all joined the pack--as separate listings. Hmmm. By the time you reach the more standard (and currently very popular) "Abigail," your head will be spinning. If it is, and you're thinking of naming your baby girl Abigail, take my advice: stick to the classic form and spelling. Your daughter will thank you.Lansky and crew justify the separate listings by saying that they are mainly using spelling as their criterion for a name. There is an argument for that, of course. But separate listings for "Ann" and "Anne" seem unnecessary at best (and such was not the case in the earlier edition). Interestingly, Lansky seems to justifying separating out the "e" spelling of that name because (he claims) it can be used for boys. That will likely prove a headscratcher for most Americans, especially since many would consider the added "e" to be a more distinctly feminine way of spelling this very common GIRL'S name (no matter how you spell it, slice it or dice it). Yes, there are some European countries where that name (pronounced differently, by the by) MIGHT be used for boys. But even there, it's likely to be hens' teeth rare.Of course, the increasing genderlessness of many given names is an established trend, and Lansky is right to note it. Names are even coded here, so that the reader can see whether the name is considered mainly masculine, mainly feminine, or truly unisex. This is mainly due to actual birth certificate namings, however, so the genderlessness of many nicknames is only touched upon. I have known almost an equal number of males and females who go by "Lee" for instance, but for about half of them (of either sex), it's actually a nickname. If you factor in alternate spellings like "Lea" (often pronounced as one syllable) and "Leigh," it's difficult to determine whether the name really is mainly masculine these days or not.Lansky is by no means the scholar that someone like Leslie Dunkling is, and many have picked up on a few of the etymological confusions and downright errors in the various editions of his books. I actually don't think that's as severe a problem as all that myself. When name origins are in some dispute, or if, as I often maintain, they really DO have more than one source, he does try to give them all. The brevity of the entries, however, can make for considerable confusion. He actually gives three potential sources for the name "Gladys" (all that research for a name virtually NO ONE's going to use). The Latin root suggests "small sword," while in Irish, it means "princess," and the Welsh source suggests a link to the Latin "Claudia" (which means "lame"). A more scholarly text might have suggested the most likely source (unless it really IS derived from all those sources at different times and all kind of blended together. Possible certainly). But I like the fact that Lansky does not pretend he has the ultimate etymology for all these thousands of name. Many really are lost in the mists of time: and of course, these days, many are just made up and there's no need to force a meaning onto names given simply because someone liked how they sounded.Which is also a big part of it, is it not? In fact, maybe Lansky's relatively strong emphasis on etymology could be viewed as misguided. Other guides are more prescriptive about what you definitely should and should NOT name your newborn. Lansky's got a good deal of that info too, but you have to consult lists at the beginning of the book. And even then, they're not all that inclusive. But then, people really should have some common sense on these matters. We all know what the "nerdy" names are. If you insist on naming your kid "Egbert" anyway, you deserve his lasting contempt.If Lansky's book is truly the VERY BEST, it's still not perfect. But it's fun, and probably of some very real use to the naming challenged. It probably could have used a few less of the gimmicky lists (how many people are really going to name their kid after a cartoon character anyway?) and a few more practical guides (believe it or not, people often need pronunciation guides, Bruce!). Otherwise you might get little girls named Siobhan running around pronouncing it "See-O-Ban") | 34 stars
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Prehistorical Meandering Story
The plot of Clan or the Cave Bear is ok, but I found myself skipping alot as the narrator goes on and on and on. For example, every time the protagonist goes herb gathering with her mentor, 2-3 pages are dedicated to describing the herbs and techniques. A short description would've added some depth to the story, but I really wasn't reading the book to get a lecture on neanderthal medicine.The characters are the saving grace of this story, adding entertainment and almost overcoming the sorry narrative. Almost, overall this book is very boring.One gets the feeling that Auel is trying to make a statement about feminism or male-female relationships, but whatever point the author is trying to make is not clear.I think my money would've been better spent on something else. | 12 stars
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Works like a charm
I needed a keypad in order to make working from home a lot easier on my laptops. This keyboard works easily with both my netbook and macbook. You simply plug in and it works - I didn't have to go through any type of setup. I read other reviews of the buttons being harder to press, but I didn't find the keys to be any problem. The retractable cord is nice too, great for storage. | 45 stars
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A Well Loved Gift
I've lent my older version of this product to my sister and friend, and they both wanted it immediately. It made a great birthday present for each of them. | 45 stars
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Everyone needs one of these
The toy arrived in great shape in in a timely manner. Most importantly it works! And who would not want a model toy of Rush Limbaugh playing with his ball on a bike? | 45 stars
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great chair!
I bought this chair for my daughter who has trouble walking. I was tired of her heavy chair that takes up so much room in our car and has to be unassemblied. This chair was already put together except for the cup holder and the leg rest but easy to add on if needed. I considered buying a less expensive chair but then decided to go with this one because of the light weight.I'm so glad I spent the extra money. It's so easy to handle especially getting on a shuttle bus at the medical center. I was able to easily help my daughter get on and off the bus and lift the chair on to the bus, saving me money on the high cost of parking. It folds up very compact taking up very little room in the car and the bus. I love this chair! | 45 stars
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The BEST of her HISPAVOX/EMI years 1981-1986
Massiel has to be one of the best Pop singers that has ever emerged from Spain. Her delivery, her style, her ability to punctuate every word with grace and devotion, always keeps us wanting more.Starting out her career in the 60's, where she achieved many things, including winning the 1968 Eurovision award with "La La La", she stared a family life in the 70's, and retired for a bit. She released an album here or there, but they were mainly labours of love, ranging from ranchera's or cabaret records.Massiel signed to HISPAVOX/EMI in 1981, poised on making a pop comeback. AND BOY did she! Her first album "Tiempos Dificiles" gave her a #1 hit in Spain, with her cover of Mexican diva Juan Gabriel's own "El Noa Noa". From this album, we see included on this compilation, "El Noa Noa" "El Amor" "Te Amo "Loca" and her second attempt at a Eurovision title, with "Eres", which was submitted as Spain's entry in 1982.She enjoyed great success with this album, but her next album would rock the Spanish world forever. "Corazón De Hierro" was a landmark album in her career, for it brought her back to the Pop world in a massive way. Produced by Danilo Vaona (Raffaella Carra, Daniela Romo), it enjoyed a long ride on the charts, and included her biggest hit since "Rosas En El Mar", with the Jose Luis Perales-penned "Brindaremos Por El". Not only was it #1 in Spain for 5 weeks, but it was a massive hit in Latin America, particularly Mexico. Other songs that enjoyed massive success was the disco-infused "Mas Fuerte". both of these are included on this compilation, along with "Corazón De Hierro" "Dejame" and "Autorretrato"a year later, she released another album titled "Sola En Libertad", which gave us another hit "Acordeon" and in 1986, she released her last album on Hispavox/EMI titled "Desde Dentro", that included "Todo Lo Que Cambie Por Ti" and "Miradas De Amor".This compilation is the best so far that I have seen from Massiel's EMI years, but they ommited quite a few key tracks of her career. For one, they largely ignored the aforementioned "Corazón De Hierro" album, by excluding "Marinero" (her first single off the album) and my favorite, the disco-oriented "Otra Mujer". Also, the title track from "Sola En Libertad" is missing, which is a shame since it is a very catchy and dance-oriented song.Perhaps all her albums will be released on Cd sometime in the future, until then, this CD is the best of her EMI years. If you're looking for a great singer and some Euro-Pop tunes, you will have a great time listening to these gems by the incredible and ectraordinary, MASSIEL | 34 stars
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Disjointed, but hip
Bowie's "DJ" is the stunner on this one. Bowie, as you may recall, was one of the first artists to perform on video, pre-MTV days. Bowie is portrayed as a DJ thrashing about, tearing up his studio. "I've got believers, believing me," rings throughout. "Fantastic Voyage" could be heard playing in Hollywood theaters before movie showings back in 1979. "I Pray Ole" is not on the original album. "Boys Keep Swinging" was popular in L.A., and a remake by Susanna Hoffs was recently produced for a tribute album to Bowie. "Look Back in Anger" is passionate and evokes images of angels and "If God was one of us" video imagery. The incredibly fast-paced "African Night Flight" is a bit unidentifiable for most of us earthlings, but Bowie must have travelled for this one. "Repetition" is a sad account of an abused wife. "Red Sails" has a cool surf-time beat interspersed with Bowiespeak: "fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-far away," and a broken up, "one-two" and then "three-four." Bowie's voice is broken up, and yet, it flows with the melody. Sounded very experimental for circa 1979, and today. Red Sails gives images of a boy sailing and blue skies and we're not sure what happens after that. | 45 stars
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Good cooker
It's a good pressure cooker, we have already use it to cook and stew many decilious foods, my wife and child both like the food! | 34 stars
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uggs
I ordered a size 9 regular width and was sent a size 9 wide boot. With international shipping etc. it was a bigger pain to rectify the situation so now I wear boots that I slide around in. Other then that I received them in a timely manor and they are the correct colour. | 12 stars
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Great cable!
Great cable, great price! FAST!! Runs our external back-up drive perfectly. Much more affordable here than the local big-box stores! | 45 stars
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Study God's Word and Don't Forget the Signs
Studying the Word. Depending on God's Sovereign will. These are two theological concepts that are at the center of our relationship with out Lord, Savior, and *Treasure* (as John Piper urges us to think) Jesus Christ. These themes are explored, along with many others, in C. S. Lewis's *The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair*.As the story starts, two children are desperately fleeing from bullies who are picking on them at a boarding school in England. They are young Eustace Scrubb (who first went to Narnia with his cousins, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, in the previous book) and his schoolmate, Jill POle. In an attempt to cheer up his friend, Eustace tells her about Narnia. They get this idea to flee to Narnia, and do a pseudo-religious ceremony. Of course, it doesn't work, but then when they are trapped, and despair of escaping the mocking (and possbily beating), they find a doorway into Narnia.Stunned, they enter, and the adventure starts. This well-loved children's story is one that has taught so many young children, and their adult family members, the lessons of trust in, and faithfulness to, our Heavenly Father. When Jill is given the signs to find the lost Prince, missing son of King Caspian, and heir to the Narnian throne, she must memorize them. She is admonished by Aslan to always recite them to herself, and never forget them. At first, she complies, but as the quest becomes more and more difficult, she soon gives up on them.Many *may* be tempted to condemn Jill, but really she is a picture of all of us. We all forget to memorize and keep track of our own signs, God's Word. As the children soon discover, once we repent, God will be sure to set us on the right path. Not to say that there will not be discipline, but set us aright, He will.The children and their Narnian guide and companion, Puddleglum the Marsh-Wiggle, discover that even after they messed up, that Aslan's signs are still useful. Indeed, Aslan anticipated and prepared for the recalcitrance of the servants he chose out to send on the journey. He is in control. As the Great Lion Himself told young Jill Pole, they only called to Him, because He first called to them.That is one of the deepest truths of the Scriptures. Often we think that we are capable of calling to God, or desiring Him, when really it is *Him* calling to *us*. God constantly awakens our hearts and desires. He resurrects our souls to accept Him to salvation, and then continues to awaken our base, carnal desires. Indeed, every one of us has a pivotal part (even when sometimes it may seem small to us in our limited vantage point of our own, finite bodies and minds) to play in the King of the Universe's grand plan, in His grand drama. when we *think* that we chose Him, He really chose us. When we think that we called to Him to allow us to enter His presence and serve Him, He really called us to Himself for these purposes.The exciting part of all of this, as the children discover, is that He ensures that we only have what we can handle. Sometimes it may seem tedious or be truly painful, or our brothers and sisters in the faith may seem boring or unlikable, but they are what and who He gives to us to help us out. Just as the children discover this with their resources they bring to the table and with their Marsh-Wiggle friend, so we too discover this as well.Beyond this wonderful story and the lessons behind it, is the vivid descriptions of the world that Lewis created. One almost finds oneself transported to this area of lush, green grass; cold, wet snow; frightening giants; and wonderful, hearty food. Like almost no other author, Lewis could really describe these externals that most writers and readers don't even pay attention to. This is sad that more authors today do not try to learn to write about these facets of a good story, for they really add to the overall pleasure of reading.Finally, characters are my major focus when I read any work. I love good, well-rounded characters, and Scrubb, Pole, and Puddleglum are just that. These characters are, even more than the Pevensies in my opinion, truly accessible to the reader. You see yourself in their foibles. Your own doubts, fears, and issues with trusting God. Given some of Lewis's biographical information, as revealed in his intellectual autobiography *Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life*, this is likely due to Lewis's own experiences. He put into Scrubb and Pole the vulnerabilities that he himself had. We can be grateful that he did, for it gave us a rich and rewarding story, and great Biblical lessons.Highly Recommended. | 45 stars
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Courtesy of Teens Read Too
What defines a life? How can you know that you've really lived your life? These are questions that Sybil has never thought about, until now. Now that her master, Thorston, has died, and she and Odo, his talking bird, are likely to end up on the street. Unless they can figure out Thorston's secret for making gold.Thorston was a magician. Not just an ordinary magician, but an alchemist, concerned with finding eternal life above all else. Now he's dead, and the few people who knew of his existence are left to define their own.Odo thinks Sybil is dumb and useless, but he needs her to perform human functions like opening things and talking to people. Sybil thinks Odo is cruel and evil, but she needs him to help with the magic since he was with Thorston much longer than she was. A shaky alliance is born. The two acquire questionable aid from Alfric, a young beggar, and Damian, an herbal apprentice. Alfric has been sent by two different people who both want the same thing, though he doesn't now why or how. All he knows is that Sybil is the first person that has been kind to him since his parents died. Damian is out for his own share of the gold, and nothing else. They are all stuck inside Thorston's house, under constant watch of Bashcroft, the man in charge of law and order, who wants the secret of never-ending life. No one knows who to trust, or who holds the most knowledge. The only true key is Thorston, and he's not planning on sharing.They are left to figure out who they all truly are, and find the true value of a life.Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman | 45 stars
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easily their best album
I totally love this album. Tracks such as "Your hand in mine" are really wonderful. In their previous album they sounded like GYBE wannabes but here they have their own voice. This is the kind of music you would want to listen to while driving through a lonely Texas highway late in the night. | 45 stars
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A fun time for the price.
I don't have much time so I'm gonna make this short and to the point. This film was a fun movie to watch with friends. It has loads of awesome cheesy lines that make this sort of movie classic; you know the kind: predictable but hilariously awesome. It's also kinda out there in terms of being random. It doesn't deviate from its plot or anything like that but it is a wacky sort of story. So in short: fun to watch as a group but weird and predictable (i.e. don't watch it by yourself or you won't find it very enjoyable). | 34 stars
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Buying a Drain King
I viewed the Drain King graphic and the vendor with the lowest price was Best in Hardware. The graphic listed the product as a G.T. Warer products 750 Drain King Unclog Hose Attachment.I ordered it and when it arrived it was a different brand and didn't work like the Drain King.Of course I had no idea that it would not work as well with out trying it. To say I am not happy is an under statement.This is a CLOG Buster made by the William H Harvey Co., Omaha, NE 68117. No model number, the top of the package was torn off as if the product was around for a long time and even opened before.Robert Mehaffie | 23 stars
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An important work
The author has put together a sort of "best of" of Bible and Quran inconsistencies and contradictions. Well organized and a very interesting read, it also gives a great overall understanding of Judaims, Chsirtinaity, and Islam | 45 stars
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Cliff's Notes version of the book
I love Harry Potter, OK? So before you freak out, let me get that out of the way. The book version "Order of the Phoenix" was oustanding. I also think that previous directors have done pretty good to great jobs of translating the books to film (though I must say things went a little downhill once Chris Columbus left.)All that being said, here's the kicker:The movie "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" played like a Cliff's Notes adaptation of the book.It lopped off a lot of the charm and romance and heartfelt pathos of the book--- as well as a lot of the pure creative touches--- in order to get the main arc of the story down. On top of that, it made "adaptations" to the book in order to get the story moving along--- yet all these "compromises" were actually worse than what JK Rowling originally wrote!Don't believe me? Here is only SOME of what is wrong with this movie:--Poor devlopment of the Harry/Cho Chang arc (The kiss is about all you get. No real feeling behind it at all. No devlopement of Harry's crush. No final break up argument on Valentine's Day.)--Making Cho into an evil snitch (which is why she and Harry broke up in the movie.) In the movie SHE is the one who betrays Harry. Stupid.--No hospital scenes. No meeting of Neville's parents.--Perfunctory explanation of Grimmaud Place--Perfunctory development of Occlumency--Harry gets to hear the prophecy while standing in the Department of Mysteries rather than later with Dumbledore. On top of this, he gets to hear the prophecy just by holding it in his hand. That makes no logical sense at all!--The Department of Mysteries itself is compressed down into one room (the room with the prophecies.) All the cool rooms (with the blue lights, the 12 doors, the clocks, the brains, and so on) are all just ignored. Those were such tremendous inventions by JK Rowling--perhaps some of the most creative stuff in all the books-- that I can't believe they just cut them!--The room with the arch is made into a really boring place.--The battle scene is really short and rather stupid.--Snape's memory of being tortured by James Potter and his argument with Lily Potter is compressed into literally a total of 4 seconds of film. That scence is so PIVOTAL to the rest of the book series that I can't believe they got away with not fully developing the scene.On top of all these plot issues, the WORST part about this movie is that there was really no FEELING in it. The whole range of emotional arcs that are so well-developed in the book are done absolutely terribly in the movie. Yeah, Sirius dies. In the book, it is a devatating moment. In the movie, it's like "Oh, well." Harry, Ron and Hermione don't have many moments together. There is no laughing in the movie. There are no lighthearted moments. Almost every scene except one or two that could have developed the emotional attachment we feel to the characters has been summarily excluded.Like one other reviewer said: The movie is too short, yet it feels too long.That is, sorry to say, a perfect description of a hack job.I am quite disappointed. | 12 stars
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Finally they get it
DC is doing it again. Let's face it, when one pictured the "Dark Knight" of Frank Miller, did they expect a Cesar Romero Joker in Burton's Batman? No. Did they expect pop music and "chick's dig the car"? No. And who didn't think of "Scooby Doo Meets Batman" when Clooney pulled out the Batman Credit Card?Honstly I was expecting Batman V to have Alfred serving bat cookies.Finally they get it right! Batman is above all a drama. It is about the humanity behind these characters, not the joke cracking Webhead.DC realises that Batman is an intelligent comic. While certainly some of the character over the years were over the top, my generation found a Batman and his archvillians who were DANGEROUS. They were characters who were three dimensional. They were flesh and blood and could be coming to a city near you.Who doesn't laugh with the line, "love that Joker"? This time, Batman's enemy Scarecrow was a freaky character with an actor who, no offense, looked like Joan Rivers in cosmetic surgery heaven. If that isn't scary, I don't know what is.Batman needed to be fleshed out and in this film he was. Yes, it was more about Bruce Wayne. And Smallville is about Clark Kent. But this is what makes Batman interesting, in that he is an alter-ego, not the person himself. By coming to gripes with people we reach an emotional attachment, an in depth analysis of how they tick. We care for them. And this is the purpose of drama, which Batman is.I honestly have no desire to contrast Keaton with Bale,because they are two different versions of Batman. Keaton was good at what he did. In fact, when comparing to Kilmer and Clooney, give me Keaton all day and all night. However, Bale's Batman is what we have all been dreaming about, namely a Batman that showed true purpose and that became real.My apologies because I think most here have been much more eloquent and detailed in their reviews.Looking forward to the next one. | 45 stars
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DO NOT BUY IN BRITAIN
Not compatible with our dvd machines. My daughter very upset , i know i should of checked before i bought it . | 12 stars
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Henry was Human after all
Margaret George has produced a story that is strangely compelling as one discovers the intrigues behind Henry's actions. Allowing for poetic licence , it is fascinating to imagine what made Henry act the way he did in getting rid of his various wives. From the suggestion that his first marraige to Katherine of Aragon was not "legal", to the adultery of Anne, to the sorrow of Jane, who it seems he loved so very much, to the lust for Catherine Howard, through the mistake of Ann of Cleeves to the happiness found with Katherine Parr. Little things stick out, like the suggestion of incest by one of the wives (subsequently beheaded), to another, going to the trouble of having the "beheading" block brought to her cell the night before her death, as she wanted to practice placing her head in the correct place! My son said on visit to the Tower some years ago, it was a dangerous business being a King or a Queen in those days. This book certainly illustrates the point as far as being a queen. The book brings a very human touch to a person who was literally larger than life and who had such a profound affect on English history. I have no hesitation in recommending this novel as being a very worthwhile read | 45 stars
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Best of Mark Lowery DVD (My mother in law loved it)
The DVD arrived right on time as stated. Was given as a gift and no complaints. Jean Combs said she loved it. | 45 stars
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A Mexican Sex Farce From Criterion? We Have Alfonso Cuarón To Thank Or Blame!
Criterion surely must be one of the top prestige DVD labels in circulation right now, and as such I look forward to their release schedule. Covering bona fide classics, international hits, and also championing smaller and unorthodox films, there is a lot to learned by checking into their exquisite presentations. So being a huge fan of Alfonso Cuarón's "Y tu mamá también" and having watched his evolution in American cinema (capped off by last year's "Children of Men"), I was excited to check out Criterion's presentation of an early Cuarón film--"Sólo con tu pareja." Described here by many as a romantic comedy, I'm going to call it what it is--a pretty traditional sex farce. Anyone familiar with the sex farce genre (particularly international efforts from France and Spain) will instantly recognize many of the elements (both good and bad) which seem to follow this type of film.Any good sex farce teaches two major lessons--(1) promiscuity or irresponsible sex can be funny and (2) true love and redemption can be found in the arms of a character you either know nothing about or have nothing in common with. "Sólo con tu pareja" adheres to these lessons with precision. Following the escapades of Tomás, a copywriting Don Juan, the film instantly sets up how irresistible he is! Apparently his moderate good looks, bumbling manner, whiny behavior and inconsiderate nature are like catnip to Mexico's most beautiful women (he even beds a bride on her wedding day, rock on)! With plenty of slapstick and sexual frolicking, the first hour of this picture plays out exactly as you might imagine. Then Tomás spies his new neighbor, falls instantly in love (without speaking to her), and becomes even more clumsily endearing (or at least more clumsy).There is an interesting twist in the film's final third. Many have already given it away, but I won't. It refreshingly tweaks the film and leads to both its funniest scenes and its outrageously staged conclusion. The film does have its amusing moments--a bit with a microwave, an advertising spoof, and a fantastic dream sequence. It is at these times, you can see real imagination at work! But overall "Sólo con tu pareja" is just a slight flight of fancy. It looks great, and the disc is impressive--but it is what it is.I guess the bottom line is that I found "Sólo con tu pareja" to be a passable entertainment, but one I probably wouldn't recommend. It's just all too familiar (to me, at least). By itself, it's unlikely it would have joined the Criterion ranks. But Criterion has championed the earlier, and lesser, works of many modern masters including Soderbergh, Campion, Cronenberg, Anders, Anderson, and many others. I certainly don't begrudge Cuarón's inclusion on that list. If nothing else, these earlier works help show the evolution of an artist and are historically interesting even if they are somewhat flawed. If you approach "Sólo con tu pareja" with moderate expectations, you might enjoy it--but I'll stick with the simplicity and surprising sophistication of "Y tu mamá también." KGHarris, 04/07. | 23 stars
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Cracked Bellringer
One of Disney's weakest animated features (along with bottom-of-the-barrel "Oliver & Co." and "Robin Hood"). The animation is strangely lifeless, the songs are forgettable, and -- worst of all -- Quasimodo is zapped by Disney's pixies and changed from a terrifying, nearly speechless deaf bellringer into a lovesick teenager who won't shut up; it's enough to make a movie fan look for "Sanctuary!" I have a complete set of Disney DVDs to date, but I won't be buying this one.Stick with the Lon Chaney and Charles Laughton versions, which are better for adults AND kids. | 12 stars
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You Should Read This Book
I couldn't wait for the movie, so I bought the book and read it from cover to cover. Really enjoyed it! It's a great "prequel" for the LOTR movies. | 45 stars
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an inspiration
This man's story is incredible. Grove's life events are both unimaginable (living through Nazi occupied Hungary as a Jew living under false Christian name) and ordinary (how to get the girls) and he writes in a way that lets the events speak for themselves. It is an astonishing story of triumph. An inspiration. | 45 stars
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Lost in England
Garmin nüvi 670 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS NavigatorMy nuvi 670 works beautifully in the USA but a nuvi 360 would work just as well for half the money. I purchased the 670 for a three-week vacation to England last summer. The 670 failed miserably.As soon as I received the 670, I ordered the free update CD with European maps and loaded them on my Garmin. I thought I was all set.Then I went to google maps and preloaded many locations, including hotels where we would be staying.Our first dissapointments came during our arrival in London. Leaving our hotel on foot, I set the Garmin for walking and selected a destination that was nine-tenths of a mile away. The Garmin identified its location but did not show any streets. We got a taxi. I thought, oh well, it's not set for cities but will be ok on the highway.I also had to reset Garmin's clock to local time. There are many European cities listed but none in the United Kingdom. There are a few in the continent, but London is not there. So my garmin was set an hour off.We hired a car and set out for Braintree. The Garmin was confused right off the bat. It was no help, constantly "recalculating." We kept stopping and asking people for directions to the highway leading to Stansted where we found signs that led us to our destination.At Braintree, we purchased a map.To make a long story short, the nuvi 670 never worked. I had many destinations preloaded. The garmin would recognize the distance and direction, but was unable to show most roads. If we were on major highways like the M4, the road would appear on the garmin, but our car would look to be floating to the left or right of it, as though we were the Starship Enterprise. And then, as we drove, the voice would start . . . recalculating . . . recalculating . . . recalculating . . . driving us nuts, to the point that I would have to turn it off. My Garmin was bewildered. We were lost.It is difficult to drive in England and I had such high hopes to make efficient use of my driving time. But no, we were often . . . Lost in England . . . and the Garmin was no help.While the Garmin was helpless in giving directions, it was indespensible in an unexpected way. England is loaded with speed cameras. They are on major highways and in small villages. There are warning signs posted but it is easy to speed through before you realize it. The garmin was a lifesaver (or I should say, a money saver). Every time we approached a speed camera, the nuvi warned us. At $50 a speeding ticket, I'm sure it saved me hundreds of dollars. Some of you may be asking why I think I saved money because after leaving the country, how would the authorities get anyone to pay speeding fines. Well, I did not always have the garmin turned on . . . and you guessed it. I received a letter from Avis, informing me that my credit card would be charged $50+ for a speeding ticket. (It's in the rental agreement)So if you want a GPS to warn you about speed cameras in England, get a Garmin. But if you want a GPS to provide directions, you'd better look at Tom Tom or some other brand. My experience suggests that Garmin does not have the mapping platform for the United Kingdon.I'm not surprised that the nuvi 670 has been discontinued. It did not perform as it should. Perhaps it works better on the European continent, I don't know. But if you take a nuvi 670 to England, before you head out for your destination, I'd suggest that you purchase a good road map. | 01 star
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A Filmscore That Stand By Itself
Listening to this score for the first time, I was impressed that it immediately came alive thematically and dramatically. Film scores always rely on cues in the film and that Shore has produced what is more of a tone poem is commendable. It has more roots in Richard Strauss than Wagner. If you read the carping reviews here and are put off by amateur criticism you will miss one of the best scores of all time for what promises to be one of the best films of all times. The important things is that it does NOT sound like Williams, Horner or Goldsmith or any other films composer's work even in the short sequence of hornpipe. If one listens to it and is not immediately able to conjure up all the imaginative storytelling of Tolkien's writing, they're not listening. It's going up on my shelf alongside "Krull" and other great sci-fi/fantasy scores. | 45 stars
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The songs that influenced John Lennon
I haven't got this album (yet) but just finished watching the fascinating TV documentary of the same name. You couldn't get a better collection of writers, singers and musicians. You can clearly hear how these tracks influenced some of the best Beatles songs. A "desert island disc" if ever I heard one. | 45 stars
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ideal but not durable
i bought these for my 18 month old vs. waiting until my child was two years old, as the recommended age.i'm thinking i should have waited as my child is not done putting things in their mouth.i had high hopes for this set, along with the dinosaurs. vivid colors are really nice.i really like that the magnet portion which takes up the whole back of the piece.they seem a bit flimsy though; easy to bend, at least in adult hands.the biggest drawback is that the product cannot get wet or the paint comes right off and the design is destroyed.despite my complaints, i'm glad i bought these and hopefully they'll make it through and be used for years to come. | 23 stars
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very fun to see
I was forced to see Mulholland Drive "Two Times" because I didn't do good the first time. I am forced to see the Memento 40 times with the same scenes over and over again but this movie is fun to see. I give it five stars because it is not boring, and it is very funny sometimes. I like detective story. This movie has it all. It is very fun to see how a person is being used in so many different way. | 45 stars
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replacement battery
problem is I have 2 same laptops, in one it would not charge. in the other it gets very hot when charging,and laptop will not turn on if battery is very low, the original compaq battery never got hot and when dead or very low the laptop would still turn on, buy the Original | 23 stars
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The Stand - 1978/1990
Plot Kernel - A virulent flu virus escapes a U.S. military germ warfare lab and devastates the human population of the planet. Additional deaths occur from the aftermath of lawlessness and absence of medical care. In the animal world, horses and dogs are susceptible to the flu, but not, for example, chickens, cats, cows, or non-dog canines, which are immune. In conjunction with this catastrophe (the causal connection is never made clear) an evil force appears in the guise of a man (not clearly human), while an opposing good force (Christian based) is represented by a very old woman (clearly human). Survivors dream of these two people, as agents of good or evil, and find themselves drawn to one or the other. Boulder Colorado becomes the gathering place of the good; and the evil force is further westward.In order to maintain tension in the story while the supernatural element slowly gains prominence in the second half of the book, there is a subplot concerning an unstable, clever, brooding young man resentful of the love a young woman has for someone else. He dreams of the "dark man", even as he lives among the good in Boulder.Note: The plot proceeds very slowly. Forward movement is frequently halted to give the backstory for one or another character. This is a post-apocalypse novel with a focus on character biographies and the supernatural opposition of good and evil, not whatsoever on how someone might survive in a catastrophic environment. The presumption is that water, food, and shelter are readily available.The novel begins as a story of the flu outbreak and of what those that are immune do afterwards. But once the supernatural element is introduced (and it seems ad hoc) the story shifts from what could have been interesting science fiction to trumped up, boogey-man horror. No one should expect anything other from the author. It is the foundation, though not the source, of his fame."The beauty of religious mania is that it has the power to explain everything. Once God (or Satan) is accepted as the first cause of everything which happens in the mortal world, nothing is left to chance...or change. [...] Religious mania is one of the few infallible ways of responding to the world's vagaries, because it totally eliminates pure accident. To the true religious maniac, it's all on purpose." (p 607) | 34 stars
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D Heredia
I just bought two of these bras at Macy's. I love them. I wear a 38DD and I have worn the bra uder all types of clothes and I don't notice the line being a eyesore at all. Will buy more. No back fat shows with this style either and fits under the arms great. | 45 stars
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CD version sounds better!
I own the CD of this great album and just recently bought the SACD version. After having read all the positive reviews I thought this might be a good showcase album for the SACD format but after comparing the CD with the SACD I feel disappointed. Willie's voice on the SACD has some rough edges to it. Surprisingly, his voice on the CD sounds smoother. SACD's play louder than CD's because they have greater dynamic range - perhaps the engineers set the recording level too high when mastering the SACD version and didn't notice the distortion in Willie's voice (please note: I can only hear this distortion on some tracks and only in certain places where the volume peaks - otherwise the sound is very good). | 23 stars
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Another Sendak Winner
A lovely little book illustrated by Maurice Sendak. All children should be introduced to Sendak's own books and those written by others but illustrated by Sendak. He was a master. | 45 stars
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Not my favorite tool
I don't care for this tool much. They claim its light. Maybe compared to a full size router, but its a little heavy and awkward. Also, having a clear base would be a lot better. Removing the base is an adventure. Turn the knob off, then the spring goes flying across the shop. When turning this tool on, better hold on. No soft start here.Pros: Its powerful, quality is ok, and the base does hold its position. If you insert and set a bit and use this tool for that single purpose, then I think you'd be better off.All in all, not horrible, but not great either. | 23 stars
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THIS HAD TO BE THE MODEL FOR ALL HAUNTED HOUSE MOVIES TO COME!
I wonder if Julia Stiles ever saw this movie? The movie's heroine looks so much like her.....shorter maybe.....but definitely looks enough like Julia to be a relative.A great haunted house movie. No doubt scared the socks off viewers back in the day. Much of the "scares" have been seen time and again in various haunted house movies since....but just imagine THIS was the original.Of course, there's the obligatory twist at the end. Fun to watch and of excellent quality too. | 45 stars
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Good Childrens book
Our son loved this book. It was probably his longest running favorite book to be read at bedtime. He loves to read books and this was one of his favs. | 45 stars
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I laughed, I cried, I saved a bundle!!
I absolutely love this book! I think I have all the editions to date. Tobias should be paying me commissions for the number of clients, friends and acquiantences I've recommended it to!! | 45 stars
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Lovely and Beautiful
This flatware took an ENORMOUS TIME to get; one order got cancelled by Amazon all on its own after WEEKS OF WAITING FOR IT AND NOTIFYING AMAZON I REALLY WANTED IT. But I ended up getting it. The flatware is perfectly balanced, fits beautifully in one's hand and is visually lovely. It makes a gorgeous table setting, really. I wish I had ordered two sets. But I won't push my luck. I'm just happy loving and adoring it on my table and holding it in my hand. You really can't see from the picture, but the handles of the flatware form a triangle and fit great in the hand. | 45 stars
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Modern..
All the logos are so modern, does not look too professional.. But I love the cover and the thickness of it! | 34 stars
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Last 'Dirty Harry' Movie, And A Good One
This was the fifth and last "Dirty Harry" movie with Clint Eastwood playing the hero again, Inspector Harry Callahan, cleaning up the streets of San Francisco from all the scumbag criminals. I've always found "The Dead Pool" to be one of his best in this series.It's entertaining with pretty taut suspense and always fun to go back and see a young Jim Carrey. It's always cool, too, to watch those little remote-control cars with bombs attached go speeding through the streets underneath automobiles. At an hour-and-a-half, there are no dry spots in this film, either.The female lead, Patricia Clarkson, is not one of my favorites. Eastwood seems to like those skinny blonds. Evan Kim, playing "Harry's" new partner, "Al Quan," was a likable guy. Even Harry's slightly more low-key in this movie, his language more tame and he gets in a few comedic zingers as well. Carrey plays a totally-despicable drugged-out rock star but he doesn't last long in the film. Carry and Liam Neeson play low-life people and combine to put some sleaze into the story.Despite the usual less-than-credible action scenes at the end (where the villains miss from point-blank range, etc.), this is still a very entertaining movie and one of my favorites among the "Dirty Harry" films. Clint went out in style with this film | 45 stars
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Gore, guns and gasoline... whoo hoo!
As a huge fan of Rob Zombie, I wasn't sure what to expect from his film work, being that Rob has generally stayed within the realm of music. With that said, I can say I was genuinely pleased that his film debut, House of 1000 corpses, remained true to his musical vision. Watching this film was not unlike listening to a Rob Zombie/White Zombie album -- the interspersed film clips and negative imagery taking the place of the horror movie samples that one would normally find in a Zombie tune.The film wasn't scary... not in the way that one would expect from a "horror movie," but was truly fun to watch, something that's been missing in horror for a number of years now. The cheesy horror show clips and weird musical choices brought this campy cult movie to life, and created not necessarily a sense of dread, but a curiosity about what exactly was lurking around the next corner. Speaking of weird musical choices, by the way, the soundtrack was wonderful! A juxtaposition of disgusting and horrifying imagery with odd and sometimes beautiful music ala Clockwork Orange or Natural Born Killers works very well here, and all the music works, whether it's a Zombie original, or a well chosen classic. Pay special attention to the music during the torture scenes!On to the plot... the plot was very thin, and anyone reading this should take warning that if they go into this experience expecting a great story, well... you may wish to go elsewhere. Strangely though, this lack of focus on story works in the world of "House of 1000 corpses." The witty B-movie dialogue and music video style shots would be misplaced if they were sandwiched in between major plot points. One gets the same feeling from House of 1000 corpses that one does from the footage playing behind Zombie at his live concerts... a mood is set, and he runs with it to give you more of a specific feeling, than an intellectual workout.Characters are surprisingly well defined in this flick... not well rounded, per se, but well defined. We know from the moment we see a character on the screen what kind of person they are, their primary motivation, and in many cases, whether or not they'll be horribly murdered by the end of the film. For those of you who only like movies with happy, sunny, good ol' fashioned endings, I would advise you to rent something like Steel Magnolias. This is the way horror is meant to be... remember all those unlikable characters that survive in typical horror movies? No worries about that here. Without ruining the ending for you, I would recommend that you and your friends each pick a character and see whose choice survives the longest. You might be surprised.B-movie horror luminaries abound in this flick. Pay special attention to the disturbingly wonderful Karen Black, and also the daughter in the family of evil, played by Rob Zombie's real life girlfriend. Both give a disturbing, yet strangely (in Karen Black's case) and extremely (in the girlfriend's case) SEXY performance.The legend of Dr. Satan will forever be etched in to cult classic status after this movie hits DVD players everywhere. A good solid B-movie, designed as a B-movie. Don't expect Casablanca... expect a rollicking, gore-filled good time! | 34 stars
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No complaints whatsoever!
I went from using a pair of standard, clear safety glasses to playing in these..and, WOW, HUGE difference. These did not fog, the brow cushion kept sweat from running down into my eyes (though I did stop after every game to wipe sweat off the brow), and they are very comfortable. They come in a neat package, with a soft black cleaning bag/carrying bag, and also come with a strap to attach to the back of the glasses if you have problems with them coming off.They were just a little tight on my head, but after flexing them a couple times they fit perfect. Like I said, these were worth every penny spent - they are vented on the lens, and DID NOT FOG UP. I see no sense in spending more on racquetball glasses, when these do the job perfectly. | 45 stars
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Another nail in the coffin
This is a superb book that's honest and forthright about what the Book of Mormon teaches, how LDS leaders have interpreted it, and how those two things conflict with science.According to the Book of Mormon, the ancient Americans were descendants of Hebrews, brought over from the Old World in sea-faring ships. If this were really true it would provide virtually no evidence for Mormonism because such ideas were common and contemporary with Joseph Smith. It's precisely the sort of thing one would expect - and find - among the pages of 19th century folklore, speculation, and literature.On the other hand, if the ancient Americans were not Hebrews, the Book of Mormon is exposed as a fraud. Of course it's also exposed as a fraud if (as is the case) the ancient Americans didn't use the animals, technologies, plants, and languages described in the Book of Mormon. Genetic science is just one line of evidence out of dozens that shows the Book of Mormon is false.Simon begins by drawing from a vast array of scriptural verses and public statements by LDS officials that illustrates the width and breadth of the LDS doctrine that the ancient Americas were Hebrews and that their literal and direct descendants are the North, Central, and South American Indians. Simon also shows how Mormon leaders have expanded the Book of Mormon's message by including Polynesians, as taught through official acceptance in the dedicatory prayers of temples and in tens of thousands of "patriarchal blessings."Having firmly established what Mormon doctrine teaches, Simon proceeds to illuminate the scientific evidence. This isn't scientific evidence that Southerton has personally discovered, but a summary of evidence from the scientific literature, assembled by scientists working with the best available tools to discover the origins of ancient Americans, and who had virtually no knowledge or inclination of/toward the Book of Mormon. Hundreds of independent researchers have come to the same conclusion: the ancient Americans came to the Americas about 12,000 years ago (possibly sooner) from regions in/near Asia, including eastern Siberia.The scientific consensus is damning to Mormonism in two ways. First, Mormonism teaches the literal existence of Biblical characters like Adam, Eve, and Noah, and it teaches a literal world-wide flood. The 12,000-year-old data presents a problem because it pre-dates Adam, and the idea that there were people living and evolving on earth thousands of years before "the first man" is contrary to basic LDS doctrine.The second problem, obviously, is that the ancient Americans were not Hebrews, as described in the Book of Mormon. Simon shows how the genetic data clearly points to regions other than the Middle East as the origin of the ancient Americas. He discusses the variabilities, the probabilities, and how genetic data are interpreted and extrapolated by scientists. There is very little scientific doubt regarding this analysis. Simon has, on the basis of genetic science, proved the Book of Mormon false with about as much certainty as we can say the earth orbits the sun.Of course, one could also say (with roughly equal certainty) that the Book of Mormon has been proven false because of the tools, foods, plants, technologies, and languages that it incorrectly ascribes to the ancient Americans. Genetic evidence isn't the only nail in the coffin, by any means.The response from the LDS apologetic community has been predictable. First, there are the ad hominem attacks, of which Simon has been the recipient of some of the most vicious. Shame on the LDS community for the way they have treated Dr. Southerton.Second, there have been the denials. The LDS Church has relegated these primarily to the cadre of apologists who have "discovered" all sorts of pre-Book-of-Mormon peoples even though the Book of Mormon never mentions them. Not even once. By reinventing the Book of Mormon, apologists hope to refashion it into an untestable hypothesis with assertions to the effect that pre-Lehites make all the genetic evidence invalid. Meanwhile LDS leaders haven't changed the doctrine at all, allowing the LDS to fashion a technical argument that leaves all options on the table.Third, the LDS apologetic community has attacked the science. Here their options are limited because the science is conclusive, so the apologists have followed the example of their intellectual cousins by using the same route as the anti-evolutionists. They've done this by debating abstract and minute scientific details that don't matter in the larger picture of things, but give the appearance of uncertainty, which is all that's needed to placate the faithful.Southerton has clearly anticipated each of these apologetic approaches. He deals with the ad hominem and personal attacks with dignified silence. The slander of the apologetic community speaks for itself, undermining the LDS position in the minds of fair-minded individuals without any further comment.Simon spends considerable time using Book of Mormon scriptures and official prophetic statements to show that LDS doctrine does, in fact, make specific assertions that the Native Americans are the literal descendants of peoples from the Middle East, and are of Hebrew origin. His demonstration of the genetic evidence is clear, concise, and explained well enough that it leaves the apologists tongue tied and with nowhere to hide.Anyone who doubts the Easter Bunny's existence is intellectually capable of determining that the Book of Mormon is a fraud; more important than raw intelligence is personal disposition and intellectual honesty. The Mormon Church makes leaving difficult. Apostates are branded as Sons of Perdition, disowned by families, shunned, and prohibited from attending family weddings. It's much easier to live smugly among other un-suspecting church goers who, in all likelihood, are also keeping up appearances, having "figured it out" for themselves long ago.For the select few with the intellectual honesty and courage to change their lives, this book is bound to be an invaluable source of information that will help you understand the validity of your choice. I highly recommend it. | 45 stars
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Best film I've seen in 25 years.
I saw the film at the cinema. It is without a doubt the best film I have seen in the last 25 or more years. It is capable of generating real involvement and emotions by being funny, sad and inspiring. It reminds me of a world we have nearly lost where real individuals still existed. I now wait impatiently for the DVD. In a word 'brilliant'. Graham | 45 stars
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This album is amazing!!!
Woah this is better than Killer On The Rampage and i didnt expect any Eddy Grant to be better than that;The real killers on this album areRomancing On The StoneOnly Heaven KnowsRock You GoodWow this album rocks!! | 45 stars
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Nice socks
The socks are very comfortable and warm. I don't wear slippers around the house and I find that these socks keep my feet warm. They seem sized a bit small, but I'd rather have them tight than bunching up in my boots etc. I cannot comment on how long they will last, but they appear well made. At this point they appear to be good value for their cost, and I would purchase them again. | 34 stars
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Wait for and read blu-ray reviews April 9, 2013 and after...
5 stars for this program, the Sir David Attenborough's version of Life, and Planet Earth.No finer programs have been produced, in my opinion.My problem is finding this program (Blue Seas) as a future release when, if you asked when the blu-ray set would be issued, you were told probably never because it wasn't shot in high def and would only be an up-converted transfer.Now, it's going to be released on blu-ray... as an up-converted transfer?Something smells here, and I would hold off until blu ray dot com and others get to the issue here.If anything is updated about this from the (technical) point of view, I'll be more than happy to update this and tell you where to find the information.Until then... | 45 stars
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Do Not Purchase This Mixer
I bought my KitchenAid mixer (this model) back in 2008. I used it happily for one year and then put it in storage for 2 years because of a move. Six months ago I started using it again. Everything was going well until suddenly, it stopped working. The motor would make a weird noise and the paddle no longer turned. It should be noted that I did not misuse this mixer nor was I using it for commercial purposes. I used it, on average, once a week.I contacted KitchenAid but they said it was out of warranty and wouldn't do anything for me except advise me that the closest Authorized Service location was 4 hours driving distance away from my house. Even then, I would have had to pay for all the repairs. I told them that this mixer was too expensive to last for only three years and that I was disappointed that KitchenAid didn't stand by their products. "We do stand by our products, ma'am, up to one year."Do your research and get a better mixer, not from KitchenAid. You can read story after story on the web about this same thing happening. Bosch is a good brand, and my next mixer will probably be from there. I trusted the KitchenAid brand because many people I know have had a KitchenAid for 30 years or more, but apparently after the company was bought out by Whirlpool the quality of their appliances has gone down. | 01 star
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Listen... And Enjoy!
The Hobbit is a great introduction to the world of Middle Earth and written by a master storyteller. Listening to it ensures that you don't miss a thing, and you are still free to project your own images in your mind. The fact that this is unabridged means that it is all here, nothing is left out. Rob Inglis's narration is great, with enough vocal variation to distinguish among the characters. For a Tolkien fan, and one who has read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings since high school, listening to them after all these years is a revelation. Immerse yourself in Middle Earth, and enjoy! | 45 stars
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The Katrina and 9-11 of 1906
For this native San Franciscan, the April 1906 earthquake and fire has lurked mysteriously in the background of family history. SAN FRANCISCO IS BURNING has cleared away the cobwebs and although I did not find my own ancestors among those people Dennis Smith animates from letters, journals and newspaper accounts, I now know in incredible detail what they must have experienced.Smith is a firefighter and a historian of firefighting. He is also a talented writer who decided to write a historical narrative, not an academic tract, and as such the reader is moved breathlessly through the events of April 1906 without tripping over tangled language and footnotes. Smith creates a chronological account, moving back and forth between the close-up stories of a fireman and his family, an unsung Naval hero, noble civic leaders, corrupt politicians, an Army general, a nun shepherding orphans through the streets and a Chinese immigrant searching for his fiance. He only stops long enough to tell back stories of San Francisco's history and provide a gloss on the science of earthquakes and fires.By far the most important aspect of this book is Smith's fearless analysis of the human error, as well as the human triumphs, that contributed to the magnitude of the tragedy as well as to its eventual solution and the revival of the city. He corrects the long held belief that General Funston was the hero who saved the day. In fact, that's what Funston told everyone as he made decisions that fueled the fires and brought on loss of life, not only in fire but through a chaotically imposed state of martial law that had soldiers and citizens killing people left and right. Funston also suppressed evidence of the heroism of naval Lieutenant Freeman, who fought the fires tirelessly instead of responding to Funston's order for a gofer. | 45 stars
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This is a CRAZY story!
This mother has a place saved below for her final resting. As a mother, I was absolutely horrified by this book. It is filled with absolutely unimaginable and unthinkable acts. My only complaint about this book, and my reason for only four stars, is it was written prior to the court cases so you have to search the internet after reading it to find out what happpened. | 34 stars
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A really fun movie...
Just watched this again yesterday. What a great movie. My son, 11, watched it with me and wanted to watch it again today. It's cute, fun and, as much as I don't care for Paul Williams, the music is infectious.My only problem is that it portrays the kids in very adult settings and costuming and roles. Fat Sam's is a speak-easy, and though they're running sarsparilla instead of whiskey it's still an adult setting. Jodie Foster's almost alluring when she sings "Tallulah", and considering she's about 12 when she did the song I'm a uncomfortable with that.Overall I would recommend it. From the proper perspective it's innocent and memorable. | 34 stars
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Marcus Review
This toy is great. I would recomend it to any Dragonball Z Majin Buu Saga fan for their collection. It is fully articulated and the details are great. | 45 stars
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Left for Dead
I wanted to read the different views of the various writers who wrote about the 1996 ascent of Everest. After reading Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, which is supposed to be the definitive account of the tragedy which took place on the 1996 ascent, I was curious to read the accounts of the same event told be other people who were there. This book (Left for Dead) was one of them and I found it interesting not so much as an alternative account of what happened but as the personal journey of one person and how he was changed as a result of what happened to him. | 45 stars
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One of the best -- ever
CTHD combines an exciting story, great stunts, beautiful cinematography, lovely women, and a complex story that is by turns mysterious, suggestive, and incomprehensible. Michelle Yeoh is a good actress in addition to her physical talents as a martial artist. Zhang Zi Yi is a sexy vixen. Chow Yun Fat is an aging warrior who seems to be going through a mid-life crisis. He loves Michelle Yeoh, but can't get around to telling her, and is attracted to Zhang. The unanswered question posed by Zhang is, "Did you want me or my sword?" The two women dominate this movie; their martial arts scenes are spectacular; Yo Yo Ma's cello is sad and fetching; the scenery is spectacular; the fate of Chow and Michelle is heart-rending; the fate of Zhang is puzzling and ambiguous. Great movie! | 45 stars
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Silicone is nice over rubber
I really like these instead of the rubber ones I replaced them for. I would do this again since silicone is forever | 45 stars
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Show Me The Extras ! ! !
This film is definitely what I would call a feel good movie. I came away from it feeling that there are decent people in this world and that we are not all disappearing into the obscurity of just a name on a piece of paper.The story follows Jerry Maguire, played by Tom Cruise, falling from grace working for a sports star agency when he has a flash of inspiration and takes the moral high ground on the way people should be treat within the company. His eventual rise to becoming a better person is aided from the love of woman and her son and the realization that everyone who he represents should be treated with the same respect.The person that stole the show for me was Cuba Gooding Jr. Every scene he was in made me laugh. This was the first movie I had seen him in and thought he was a terrific actor, deserved of the Oscar he won for Best Supporting Actor. The "Show Me The Money" scene will have you in stitches.This is not a DVD that is to be bought for it's technical qualities or abundance of extras. All you get is a static menu with no trailer, character biographies or other extras. In this day and age of DVD's like "Contact" and "The Matrix" I would have expected a bit more from a quality movie like this. The picture quality is good, as is the sound but it certainly won't tax your Dolby Digital amplifier, but then again it is not expected to.Jerry Maguire is a film to cuddle up to your partner with and watch on a cold rainy night. It is funny, poignant and thought provoking. Worth watching at least once.Steve. | 23 stars
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Sexy & fun moves for the dance floor
When I first began using this DVD approximately 10 years ago I wasn't overly keen to learn the perfect art of bellydancing but definately wanted to amp up my moves when I went clubbing with my friends---this DVD served that purpose well, in particular hip anjulations which friends later asked me to teach them.This workout is *very basic* so much so that if you have any familiarity with Bellydance it is better to find an alternative or move onto subsequent DVDs. The session is broken down into upper body, lower body, turns (moving steps,) coropgrahy and performance section. Though detailed I felt as if all these sections moved very slowly and was able to memorise and move on to the final performance section within a couple of viewings. I think the pace of this program would work great for a total novice and those who like to master every detail. For myself, it was just about having fun and if you are looking to lose weight it is best to pair this with another program that will raise you heart rate a bit more.I am not sure if other reviewers have mentioned this, but at times I found the costume coin belt (though pretty) a hinderance to seeing a move properly. On that note, those who are prone to pulling muscles or sudden cramps should move into any pose e.g hip drops slowly.It's easy to jump from segment to segment in this program and I LOVED the extras section with the professional performances, especially the one done in Turkish cabaret style (I've been to Turkey three times) you may find them quite inspirational! | 23 stars
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Wake up your taste buds!
Mrs Balls Hot ChutneyI first discovered Mrs. Ball's on a trip to England years ago. I fell in love with it. Alas, I had only brought one bottle home with me. This was pre-Internet, so there was no more to be had. Now I can get it again!It really is a delicious chutney, hot and smooth by comparison with others such as mild and chunky Major Grey's (a very good chutney of a different type). It's flavor is just right, not too heavy handed with the strong spices, like cloves, which can leave a tinny aftertaste, but enough heat to make you sit up and take notice.If you're new to chutney and like things a bit spicy, give this a try. It's not only good with curries, but it's excellent as a spread with cream cheese and, thinned with a little juice, makes a delicious baste for a pork roast. Great product. | 45 stars
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ALL THESE FOLKS SPEWING WORDS...
I'll say this Mr. Stevens:Go on with yo' Sufjan self.Me, I am a fan.One bad*ss album my friend! | 45 stars
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HAUNTING!
THIS IS A GREAT CD! HAUNTING BUT NOT ENOUGH OF A CONNECTION TO THE ORIGINAL MUSIC. | 34 stars
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