I purchased the Magic Trackpad to take full advantage of the new gestures in Lion. The trackpad is the same size as my Apple Wireless Keyboard, although not as wide. It is much larger than a normal laptop trackpad. Because of the slight angle to it when resting on a desk, you can rest your hand comfortably and use your fingers to navigate.
One thing I have not totally gotten used to is the "clicking" behavior of the trackpad. The trackpad on my older Macbook Pro still has a physical button that you press with your thumb to click. The trackpad (and all recent Mac laptops) "click" by pressing down the entirety of the trackpad itself. Alternatively, you can adjust the settings so that a tap on the surface of the trackpad activates a click on the screen.
Because of the awkwardness of depressing the entire trackpad, I've begun to use this as the default way to click. Unfortunately, it doesn't allow you to "click and hold" in order to move windows around the screen, etc. In those cases, you'd still have to use the physical action of pressing down on the trackpad.
Other than that one minor annoyance (that I will not doubt get used to), the pros far outweigh the cons. The ability to use all of my fingers to activate such a wide variety of functions within Lion is a delight.
Leg Avenue Women's Strappy Spandex Tube Dress - I had my doubts but I figured for the price, even if I never wore it, it would be fun just to try it on.
I'm a fairly big woman at 5'6" and 170 lbs. One-size things don't usually fit me. This thing does, and it looks great. Absolutely great. It's also comfy. I don't mind lounging around the house with it on.
If you need some attention from your man, here you go. This will be the perfect surprise for my boyfriend on his birthday! I was drawn to this strappy, sexy dress due to the many high reviews, but I was also worried because it only comes in one size, and I am a small person. I usually wear around a size 1 and sometimes generic sizes look really loose on me. Luckily this dress looks amazing and is form fitting, easy to wear, and comfortable! Nothing is exposed when I wear it and it's just perfect! I'm glad this dress is so versatile and fits all body types.
I fooled around and tried wearing it upside down and backwards. On me it seems to look best with the tag at the back of my neck, in other words, the proper way.
Leg Avenue should offer this thing in six colors. I would buy all six.
Having recently read and reviewed Greg Lawrence's book Jackie as Editor: The Literary Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, I was eager to acquire and hear these interviews. I'm not sure how much new light they will ultimately shed upon the historical record of Kennedy's presidency, but they surely will confirm that the Kennedy's marriage was more than a mere public display; there is much evidence here of a deep marital intimacy and that the two genuinely respected and trusted one another on many levels.
It's also clear that Jackie's "thinking life" did not begin decades later with her career in publishing. Jackie's wispy voice is mesmerizing (as anyone who's watched the White House tour can attest). The interviews are easier to listen to than to read, but the book is nice to have for quick reference. It also includes a lot of rare photographs from the Kennedy White House years.
Now for my gripe. The audio CDs come in a rather flimsy sleeve. When my copy arrived in the mail, all the disks had fallen out of their sleeve and rattling around in the case. If this happens to you, check the disks carefully for scratches. (Mine seem to play okay). Also, it was very frustrating trying to transfer the interviews to my iPad so that they would play in sequence (I spent hours renaming the tracks.) Why don't audiobook publishers think of this?
I was looking for a cost effective way to have a home phone for the kids to use after cutting the traditional land-line. By using Google Voice and Callcentric (for 911), this solved my issue.
I now pay around $1.50 per month for 911 service and nothing for Google Voice. Quality of call is good and I get all the nice features found with Google Voice. I tested the 911 service by first calling the counties non-emergency line and asking how to test. Then called 911 with the script they provided. They read me back my name and address and everything worked great.
Set-up wasn't that straightforward but there are some good online articles on the topic that will be a great help.
I do realize if the power goes out or if the Internet connection goes down, so does my ability to call. I am guessing that 99% of the time, we will be around when that happens and we can use one of our cell phones to call 911 if needed.
High marks on this device and am very pleased I don't have to be in another cell phone contract (or pay as you go) and don't have to pay the high monthly land-line fees. Not sure why anyone would go with Vonage either. There are other options on the market, but I think this VoIP Telephone Adapter
Ok, I bought this album later after I had Moving Pictures and Signals, and this is one of the better ones. I love this record and Rush is a band that has TRULY EARNED popularity. I'm not gonna get into this topic, but if you wanna know why, watch the documentary: Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage. 2112 really captures what Rush had been trying to make since the addition of Neil Peart (Best Drummer in History). There won't ever be another voice even remotely close to Geddy Lee because no one in their right mind would wanna sing like that! I mean Geddy is amazing but I don't think anyone would wanna sing like that!
Music:
Back then, regardless of what those idiot critics said, this was a ground-breaking and innovative album; Rush have become the true masters of Progressive Rock.
1. 2112- This was the first epic I ever heard and it's also got the coolest drumming on anything that was made before Dream Theater, Symphony X, Kamelot, and Stratovarius were formed. Very good song!
2. A Passage to Bangkok- A catchy little tune...perfect for traveling. Haha!
3. The Twilight Zone- A slower paced song but never the less, a Rush Classic.
4. Lessons- It's an ok song, but I don't really care for it.
5. Tears- I LOVE this song! Until I heard this, I didn't know that Rush did ballads and pretty songs. This might just be the best song on the album! Yes even better than the very innovative 2112!
6. Something for Nothing- A pretty catchy song with a good message.
Verdict: A very good album from the 70's that deserves respect! If you like Dream Theater, Iron Maiden or any metal band, then you have to respect these guys because all metal looks back to these 3 dudes. Not kidding...the documentary has people that Rush influence on there like Mike Portnoy, Trent Razor, Jack Black, and the list goes on...
Very good album and I recommend it
Anansi Boys is the follow-up to gold standard of modern fantasy - American Gods. Anansi Boys is a fun modern fantasy but it is not genious. The story of Charles "Fat Charlie" Nancy and his relationship with his deceased father and long-lost brother is engaging and creative. As in American Gods, the gods and characters from fable have life in the world around us. One of thoe gods - Anansi - is Charles Nancy's father.
Fat Charlie is a character adrift in modern society - hard working, diligent, uninspired. Anansi Boys is his story, and as much as anything it is about the growth Fat Charlie experiences thanks to the influence of those he meets. Fat Charlie's estranged relationship with his father, his unpleasant boss, his aggressive future mother-in-law all help to make Charlie a particularly easy character to empathise with. His is a warm and attractive character who develops in a very pleasing way.
Charlie's father Anansi does not feature much in the book but it is a really excellent character description. It is a little odd for those readers who might have grown up with Anansi stories to have them transposed away from their place of origin and given slightly alien features but Anansi as a soft-shoe shuffling charmer enjoying the easy life is great.
Charlie's brother Spider is the one who breaks open the narrative. Prior to Spider's arrival, the world is sane, senisble, and mundane. Spider is the sense of adventure and creativity that breathes life into the ongoing activities. He is designed as a contrast to Charlie but it is never that black and white. The conclusion of Spider's character arc is really disappointing in its lack of ambition and what Gaiman aspires to for him but Spider is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
The women of Anansi Boys are all a bit weird. The old crones in Florida are a nice take on the cabal and Callyanne Higgler in particular is entertaining, easily helped by her well constructed name which places her so easily in the reader's mind. Miss Dinwiddie is a bit of an archetype but she serves the story well as the source of much of the old wisdom and current tension Fat Charlie discovers. Of the two younger women, Rosie gets most of the coverage but as a paragon she is really not very interesting. Daisy is far more intriguing a character but she does not earn as many words. Daisy's parental backstory is the kind of aside that makes a book like this really good to read. The nationality of her parents is that extra touch of excellence and the combination of ultra capitalist Hong Kong and communist Ethiopia makes for an amusing reference point that presumably Gaiman meant to include. Maeve Livingstone and her affection for her husband Morris is a lovely character.
Anansi Boys is not though a work of genious. The dialogue is very clunky at times. In particular, Gaiman appears to have great difficulty describing the dialect of the Caribbean. The various West Indians and Floridians indicate their ethnicity mainly by swapping "are" for "is" as in "I is". While this may be a feature of the particular dialect, there is no roundness or believability to their use of language. This is probably because Gaiman does not offer the kind of insightful description of their speech to make up for the poor dialogue itself. Far too many of the characters have a distinctly British voice - the worst culprit is Tiger. This menacing force is built-up throughout the book as a fearsome physical representation of fear and dread. His foppish use of British English such as "Frankly...we appear to be stuck together" is the kind of understated Britishness that works very well for Hugh Grant characters but not for the personification of violence that is Tiger. Equally, Dragon is a strange character who seems to exist for one joke. Dragon is a raging beast who when foiled describes his circumstance with a menacing "Bother". Dragon should not be middle class English in any way. Dragons appear in many cultures of the world but really hardly in English tradition at all which makes Gaiman's Anglicising and class identifying of this character just horribly lazy.
What works extremely well about Modern Fantasy is when it is believable. A couple of lazy mistakes make disbelief a little harder. Gaiman clearly is not at all familiar with the Caribbean islands because St Andrews is not a viable name for an island. There are no single islands in the Caribbean with a plural name ending in English. Maxwell Gardens is a surprisingly rare name for a street in London but Gaiman really doesn't make the street identifiable so probably has never been to Maxwell Gardens. That oversight is perhaps why Gaiman had to use the clumsy term "main road" when describing how close Fat Charlie is to his apartment on one difficult evening. These details are lacking often through the novel which is a shame. They are not important to the flow of the story which is still a fun read but do mean that it just isn't as believable.
Where Gaiman references other works, it can work very well. The quote from Danny Glover's character in Lethal Weapon is an obvious but fun one. The reference to Kafka's Metamorphoses is one of the cleverest moments in Anansi Boys given the metamorphosing that some of the characters undertake. These and other references build the reality of the world the crazier events take place in. Other things are less impressive - Grahame Coats use of an Arnold J. Rimmer catchphrase does not fit the very different characters involved. The description of 'Binky' Butterworth's use of a very small lift is just a direct description of the lift scene in the home of Roger de Bris during The Producers. The lift is important for Gaiman's construction of a later event but it isn't especially creative to describe exactly a scene and character from another work without it being a reference point. Indeed, the entire story seems to have been "influenced" by a famous Chuck Palahniuk novel which was turned into an even more famous film. The line identifying the differences between Fat Charlie and Spider includes some of the exact same physical disparities in Palahniuk's pairing and that gives away what could possibly have been any kind of twist to the plotline.
However, there is one clear moment of genious - the description of the meaning of folk tales is absolutely excellent. The role of Anansi stories in celebrating innovation and creativity are a hallmark of the key change in human history that occurs with the rise of pastoralist communities of Bantu in Africa. Gaiman's insight into the role that folklore plays is absolutely superb.
The Headline Review publication does not do itself any favours at all with the additional material at the back of the book. The interview with Gaiman is a bit cringeworthy especially when Gaiman indirectly states that he is a genius. The suggested questions for book clubs are horribly academic. While it can be fun to realise at university that the way to pass exams is to state why the question being asked is incorrect, the questions here are far too dry and also full of assumptions. Book clubs are supposed to be fun.
All in all, Anansi Boys is a fun story with a less complex plot than might appear in the early going. It has some nice characters, some of whom are very endearing. The use of ancient folktales is good. It isn't really a great example of modern fantasy and the dialogue in particular is at times terrible. This is a nice, easy going novel with a thought provoking folklore comment tucked inside but it is not a masterpiece and does not compare favourably to Gaiman's American Gods.
First of all, this book is meant for children; I hope people realize that.
Secondly, it is written for Witches and Wizards
If one understands the above two points, and has their mind set into that particular demographic, they will appreciate this book immensely. Adults will enjoy it as well!
This is a collection of five stories, one could say fairy tales--the equivalent to our tales of 'Cinderella', 'Little Red Riding Hood
It is a quick read (105 pages) and at the end I craved more, and so will you. Hopefully J.K. will expand on this in the future in some thicker volume.
I bought the British hardcover version used. The graphics of the front/back, along with the used quality made it seem like this book has been with me my entire life; it adds more character and charm to an already enchanting collection of stories. I hope to pass this to my (future) kids one day.
Highly Recommended
OK, we have all seen those books full of money-saving and penny pinching tips. This is yet another in that genre. But it's the newest, freshest and most up to date book in this genre, and many of the "same-old same-old" tips have been updated for our current financial hard times. Not only that, but there's a scattering of unique tips by "the worlds cheapest man".
If you are newly into penny-pinching this is an excellent book to get you started. If you are an experienced saver, you will still pick up some new tips and plenty of updates on the old stand-byes. Don't get me wrong- if you just bought one of his competitors books, you probably don't have to rush out and buy this one- but it couldn't hurt to take a look at Clark's book anyway.
There's 250 tips, some of which are "well sure" but many of which are "Why didn't I think of that!". Clark Howard covers insurance, prescriptions, utility savings, mortgages, cell phones, and even consumer fraud and identity theft. These last are part of what sets this book apart- sure those security tips are available elsewhere, but it's nice having them all in one easy to read book.
I do note that one idea- that of getting your MD to prescribe larger doses of your daily meds then cutting the pills in half is something my MD isn't crazy about. But Howard has several other ideas that could save you a nice chunk of change every month.
Note also that Clark Howard has a rather interesting and useful website, with synopsis of his radio & TV shows and appearances, consumer tips, and even monthly bargain topics.
The book is written in a friendly and easy to read manner.
Before September 11, VP Cheney, our public employee, met in the White House (our public building) with some influential gentlemen from the private sector.
Despite using our facilities, our employee declined to name those participants, who sat on our furniture.
And the media? You're doing a heckuva job, Brownie! This is something you can not find out for us? Too busy being spoonfed?
I'd prefer to hear Colin Powell's commentary, as he did last weekend, saying he was sent into the United Nations with bad information.
We can still recall Adlai Stevenson
And the media, about that? Zzzzzzzzzzzz. Too busy being spoon-fed, or spoofed, at best. If you can believe what Cheney says and does, find out who visited him. If he's so innocent, what does he have to fear?
Good luck, Mr. Phelps!
Most of Richard Paul Evans
Action packed, thriller, science fiction elements, young romance, humour, youthful.... you name it, this book has it for everyone. I am thrilled with this book, and may even let my grandchild that is a science freak borrow it. I can only hope that Richard makes a series out of this. And that the movie will be coming out soon. This book makes reading fun for everyone. Young and old can discuss this book, so it bridges the age gap like few other books do.
I can recommend it for a book to tuck into your bag to savour like a good piece of chocolate. And share it
I'm reading Michael Holroyd's excellent A Book of Secrets
But I also had a bit of a geek out moment when he casually mentions his wife, Margaret Drabble. I just read some Margaret Drabble
Gossipy and probably stupid, but still.
But another reason I like A Book of Secrets so much is that he tells the history of these figures through the "women of no importance": the mistresses, the discarded fiancees, the dead wives. Here he is talking in the Guardian a few years back about why he likes writing about women. "I like extraordinary characters, I like irregularity, extreme things happening.
From the moment I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down. It was fast and fun as well as well as interesting and completely through.
Not only that, I found it helpful for my company and chock full of ideas.
This book helped me to re-focus on our core brand. It stimulated me to get back to the office and concentrate my energies on all of the new ideas the book contained. I believe that "The Old Rules of Marketing are Dead" can be a springboard for us to continue the changes we need to make in this tough economic environment for a communications and media company to survive and prosper.
This is something that everyone that owns or would like to own a business should read. Very informative!! Highly recommend.
I love this reader
I enjoy being able to see the highlights other readers have made when reading. This gave me an unexpected interactive component to the book. It seems silly but I find joy knowing that others found a phrase, sentence, or paragraph exciting or profound.
I also like how it syncs with other devices. I can pick up my phone, laptop, and desktop and continue where I left off on my kindle. The built-in dictionary has greatly increased my vocabulary. My scrabble friends should beware!
This rack is a really sturdy rack and has plenty of surface area to mount medium gym bag with no issues. I got it because it has the strip down the middle to use as a small fender and the accessories that Topeak has for it. It has a mount for a light for which I mounted a Blackburn MARS nicely. For days when i had to take something with more bulk to work I would bungee a milk crate to it. Make sure it is on tight or it will slide off the side. Unfortunately the MTX rails in the middle would eat into the crate. Topeak has a MTX folding crate that will roll behind. I recommend it.
I picked up this rack from the LBS some months ago and mounted it on my Mens Schwinn High Timber 26 inch. This rack is a great fit for this bike. I ran into the same issue as another reviewer with this bike concerning the mounting screws for the bottom of the rack. The bike has bigger holes than the screws so I too went to Lowes to pick up some new bolts. The instructions listed sizes of the hardware so I picked up the same size of bolts but longer to use a lock nut on them (I didn't want to have to drill out the holes).
I mounted them bolt head on the inside and nut on the outside. Worked great until I realized that the bolt head would rub the chain in the lowest gear. Taking a file to the bolt head to trim it down some did the trick.
I honestly can't believe this cost me only $10. And for me it was free because I used some of my
Amazon credit
The little thing works just fine. I've had it for about a month now, and I've never been frustrated with it. Although the instructions were a bit hard to understand sometimes, installation was no hassle. It took me 10 minutes to set up the whole thing. You can just run to your bike and install it, since it comes with the plastic ties you need for holding the things in place, and also with a battery.
I usually use the speedometer, odometer, and clock, but I just set it on scan so it goes through the whole thing. To be honest I didn't need all 17 functions, but it doesn't hurt to have it.
The thing turns off after 5 minutes of non-use, and you can take the computer off when you're done riding (which I love, because people steal things around here if they're just hanging). The computer was smaller than I thought, but that was a plus for me because it doesn't take up space.
Overall, I just am so happy I got this. For the price I think I got a great deal. It could be $20 or $25 if you ask me, considering how much it does and how easy it is to use. I don't know much about technology so I can't be sure that it could be that much, but I really think it could fly for a higher price.
If you're a daily biker just looking for a practical little computer that does the basics for you (I never understand why they have the calories and fat-burning functions), I would recommend this. Oh and shipping was prompt, as usual.
The HTC HD2 T8585 Unlocked Phone
I received the phone 9 days ago, the battery last for one day, it's branded T-mobile. In the box: 512mb sd memory, USB charger, USB cable, battery, phone, small user guide. Good touch screen response. Two days after I received the phone the volume down button regularly stuck, so it was impossible use the phone.
I sent it to amazon and waiting for a refund. I I'm looking for another one but, I think this phone is great, so I will buy it again. Works in Honduras Tigo network.
A great solution for charging up an assortment of Apple gadgets. It provides the extra power needed to charge an iPad while it's powered on. The USB ports on most PC's only put out 500mw and the iPad needs 1000mw to be charged while it's in use. I like that you can charge 4 devices at once and only use a single power outlet.
Plus it makes a great stand for the iPad. We keep this in the kitchen and we can view recipes on the iPad while it's resting in the stand. When you price out decent iPad stands, this becomes a greater bargain.
There were a couple of peeves, but nothing serious. It does not come with an Apple dock connector USB cable. They are cheap enough, like this one, but iHome could have tossed one in. Also the phone charging cable needs to use the included mini to micro adapter. Mobile phones have pretty much standardized on the micro USB connector, a cable like this (except shorter) should have been included.
I have had my kindle for about a month.
Like most people I am extremely happy with it. We do not have Wi-Fi so I purchased the 3G one. I am glad I did as it works anywhere - I have had great fun demonstrating to other people how easy it is to buy a book!
It is very easy to use, both for actual reading of the book as well as ordering them. I used it at interval when I was in a dimly lit theatre and I could still read quite easily. With the cover it is comfortable to hold as you read as it stays open when not using any hands - it is simple to rest it on your lap or on the couch beside you.
The manual that is already loaded onto the kindle is very straightforward and explains anything you need to know. I have already put quite a few books onto it and sorted them into categories. The battery life is very good and charging is simple. I charge it from the wall using the same charger that I use for my ipod.
My husband and daughter also intend to purchase a kindle and it is great that we will all
have access to any books purchased from Amazon. If you are still debating about buying a kindle (do I need it? I love the feel of books etc) - take my word for it - you will love it! Just go ahead and buy it.
I want to clear up something on one review I read before buying the book - the person was complaining about multiple pages of her writing about a cat and how unnecessary that was. That person neglected to mention that it was not type written pages, but a photo copy of a young girl writing a diary about a cat that made her happy. Good grief - the poor girl had no love other than that of a few animals that were typically taken from her - the person who wrote that review obviously has no sense of compassion and if you don't have any compassion then maybe you shouldn't be reading this book - cuz you won't get it.
I was personally riveted by this book. I could not put it down. It must have been therapeutic for her to write this because in the beginning as she tells her story - she sounds just like an eleven year old girl. You can see a transformation in her thinking as the book progressed to her adult years - yet still a wounded child lived inside her. The sadness was there through out, but she has been groomed to push down feelings and do what was expected of her to survive. What good would acknowledging her feelings do?
What they did to her was unforgivable and I know that God will judge them accordingly. They may see justice on earth but it will not compare to the justice that God will take on them for hurting a young child and taking her innocence. And for - corrupting her mind about God. Using the Bible to further his "cause" - he will be judged. I hope that someday Jaycee can see God for who He is and not the distorted picture that was painted for her by Phillip. It was not the angels that were speaking to him - but instead the demons.
I know most people don't want to hear about God, but in addition to the loss of innocence and stealing away her freedom and right to happiness - he stole her right to learn and decide whether or not to have faith in God. I don't know if she would have believed in God had this never happened, but her view of God has no doubt been corrupted by this monster as well. It is her right to learn about God on her own and make her own decision. In order to do that, she has to weed through the lies he told first. That just makes me so angry because I think faith could help her and it is just another thing stolen away.
Enough of my soap box. I recommend the book
So....before watching this
The basic premise is that a bunch of clustered meteors appear on our tracking devices not long before impact, and seem to be falling near major coastal population centers around the globe. Before impact, they all slow down, and "pieces" of the clusters break away from their main hosts. Film crews on the scene reveal that they are actually aliens, who begin by killing the beachgoers and destroying the ships off the coast. Prior to "impact" a general evacuation of the target areas had been ordered by the gov't, but apparently, a lot of people wanted to witness the event, including swimmers and surfers. Anyway....
The central focus of the movie is a squad of marines led by a green lieutenant and a grizzled staff sergeant with a reputation for getting his soldiers killed in combat and/or leaving them behind (played by Eckhart). The marines set up a forward operating base to halt the alien invasion. Several units, including Eckhart's are sent into the warzone to rescue civilians that havent made it to the FOB, or are trapped. Of course, nobody is quite prepared for the alien soldiers they encounter, but the unit is gritty, and fights their way to some civilians. Their rescue chopper is blown out of the sky with their four (or five, cant remember) injured squadmates in it. So....they have to hoof it to the FOB. Did i mention that the gov't plans to carpet bomb the whole area, and they only have a limited amount of time to get out of the area?
This is where the movie really starts getting interesting. I wont ruin the rest of it, but there are lots and lots of gunfights and explosions, some of which actually knocked my speakers off the entertainment center! Also, Eckhart in particular really shined in his role, but in truth, you come to love all the soldiers, and find yourself feeling proud of those who survive and those who die as well.
