Archive for February, 2010

Let me start by saying that I can see why a lot of people wouldn’t like this book, especially a lot of people who have to read it for school. To many people, it seems like the typical “teenage angst” kind of book, and it’s very easy to think that the whole way through the book. If you learn nothing from this book then you didn’t get the meaning behind it – it’s a blunt statement, either you agree or you don’t. And if you *do* get the meaning behind it, but found it to be boring or repetitive anyway, then that is your opinion. Some people just simply don’t like the same books.

I have to admit, when I first started reading Catcher in the Rye I was a bit struck at why it was considered a classic in literature. With me, I started seeing something deeper when I got to the middle of the book. It isn’t until you start seeing the same things being repeated that you start to notice. The title of my review is a great example. Holden Caulfield is a prime example of questioning youth. Most teenagers aren’t focused on morals, nor do many of them think deeply about what goes on in the world. And the few that do are like Holden; they’re confused, lonely, and scared as hell. So the more I read and the deeper I delved into the meanings behind Holden’s thoughts and ideas, the more I began to understand. Holden Caulfield isn’t just the average 16-year old. He is, yet he isn’t. He *thinks* deeper than the average teenager. He’s still immature in a lot of his thinking throughout the book but overall his character is just this mass of confusion. He seems confused at a lot of things, at why a lot of people are the way they are, yet he himself isn’t perfect. That is what shapes his character. He isn’t flawless, and the author, Salinger, clearly brings that out to the reader. Sometimes Holden contradicts himself – a flaw within himself that is telling the readers that he is human. By developing his character in this way, I saw it as a way to make you both like and dislike him. If you liked
The Present | tigerfly

I bought this model based on the reviews I read & it did not let me down. I replaced a Bissell that left my carpet wet & never really cleaned like I thought it should. I cleaned my bedroom carpet & couldn’t believe the difference. It removed dirt from areas that I had considered to be stained because the Bissell never cleaned them when it was used. I would recommend this unit to anyone that has kids or pets that continuely track in dirt. My carpet was dry in a short time where it was generally overnight before. *****
Black Beauty Animated | skylartours

I love my new Garmin 305! I’m currently training with a team to run a marathon, which is now less than 2 weeks away! My coaches both have this watch and they have completed 15+ marathons themselves so I’ve had my eye on this one for a few months. I was so excited when it came in that I immediately went for a run! I used it for my 8 mile Turkey Trot run on Thanksgiving and knew immediately after how many calories I had just burned so I could enjoy my dinner without guilt!

It is so nice to be able to just start my watch and start running. No more mapping the mileage online before and then after to get my pace, distance, and calorie data. It’s invaluable to runners/ bikers who keep up with this info for training or health reasons. I have mine set on current pace, avg. pace, elapsed time, and distance. But the screens are customizeable and you can easily scroll to see the wealth of information this thing keeps track of. I love the interval setting which can set time or distance intervals. And the watch is big on a small wrist, but it’s not heavy and the screen size makes it easier to read while your running. Also for the reviewers saying that the heart rate monitor is too small, the screen can be set to show the numbers larger.

As far as the satellite signal, it takes around 1-2 minutes when I walk out of my door, but for some reason it takes less than a minute if I turn it on inside my house. Mine has never lost a signal after the initial lock.

After my run it is really easy to upload the data to the computer. Right now I’m using the Garmin Connect website, and [...] both so that I can decide which one I want to continue to use. They are both free and have been easy to use. So far I like [...] more because they can keep track of usage on gear, mostly the mileage on my running shoes.

This watch is perfect for the runner (haven’t used it for any other sport so can’t comment on that) and I don’t know how I’ve gone so long without it!

Anthony Logistics Razor Burn | hauntedinkbottle

A great perspective of black life in the south during the early sixties. We live in the Pacific NW and were pretty clueless about the level of racism practiced in the south and it’s daily affect on blacks. This is not to say racism was not alive and well in the NW, but not as integrated into daily life and not as an extension of slavery.
City Lights | societyofherbariumcurators

We bought this vacuum from Amazon in September 2008 based on the many favorable reviews. We were initially very satisfied with its performance. However, after 15 months of normal household use and just after the warranty period expired, this vacuum cleaner started producing a grinding noise and clouds of acrid smoke. I took the vacuum apart and checked for any obstructions. Everything was clear and the roller and original belt were fine. I tested the motor again with no load and it immediately started smoking and grinding.

An $80.00 vacuum that lasts only 15 months is an expensive proposition. If you decide to buy this model, understand that you are taking a gamble with your 80 bucks.

Mace DVR 400HP HDD | elderjusticecoalition

We live in a house with 2 cats and 2 dogs. Our yellow lab mix sheds more than any dog I know. She doesn’t just shed seasonally, she is like a walking hair ball all of the time. We have tried many different brushes/combs out there and this is by far the best. It was recommended to us by a trainer at Petsmart. The difference in the amount of hair on the floor of my house is amazing. And, the dogs don’t mind getting brushed with it like with some other combs. All in all, an amazing little gadget. Get one.
Grave Enraptured Limited The | pointofpeace

I love all the twilight books, seriously I’m a big fan. I recently began listening to the Twilight audio book on a flight and had to stop it at least three times–yes its that bad. Its the narrator, I hate to be rude, but she is terrible, I mean terrible. Her annunciations are distracting and the “voices” she develops for the characters are embarrassing. She really has no business being a narrator. I’m extremely disappointed in the franchise for going this route and apparently she narrates all the audio books–gah! Do not buy this audio book, just read the books yourself, you will be glad you don’t start here. If this is your first venture into Twilight, run! Don’t waste your time with the audio version.
Fairies Wear Boots | sohope

I have a couple of Transcend 16GB cards I’ve been happy with, but when I travel, I like to travel light, no so much because of the weight, but because I almost always end up losing something or leaving it behind. So, with one very large capacity SD card, I figured I would keep it in my camera or computer and not have to worry about losing it (I’ve had batteries and memory cards fall out of my bag before and I haven’t noticed until I was back home).

This card is plenty fast for my Olympus E-P2 and works great with a CF-SD adapter in my Nikon D300. I was more worried about performance when using it with my Nikon D300, but the performance is fine. I take mostly landscape and fine art photos so I can’t say how it would do with quick photography like in sports or tracking birds in flight, but I know it’s plenty fast enough to bracket up to 5 shots without any noticeable slowdown in writing the information to the card.

Quality seems great and it came in the easy-to-open packaging that I really like. Highly recommended.
Janssen Cosmeceuticals De Age | mellatnews

Good bike for the price, with quality in the right places. The Schwinn Prelude is a lot of bike for $199. The wheel hubs are aluminum (not stamped steel) so the bearings will stay tight and roll smooth with little or no maintenance. The cranks are aluminum, with replaceable chainrings. The rims are aluminum, in the international standard 700c size (not the old 27″ size). The frame is aluminum, just like more expensive road bikes. Aluminum parts are lightweight, do not rust and should provide many years of trouble-free service. Those are all “must have” features. The 14-speed (7 x 2) thumb shifters are simple to operate while keeping your hands on the bars. The Shimano Tourney derailleurs should provide years of trouble-free service.

However, I was disappointed to see that the frame does not have threaded holes (braze-ons) for mounting a cargo rack or fenders. Also, the stock saddle looks a little slim for some riders; but is easily replaced (I recommend a Terry Liberator or Velo Plush). Conclusion: This is a capable road bike, worthy of upgrades. The lack of rack and fender mount points limits its usefulness for commuting (though handlebar bags and seatpost-mounted pannier racks are decent options). I estimate that the Prelude will comfortably fit riders from 5′ 10″ to about 6′ 2″ (I only saw one size offered). If you are in that height range, looking for a great deal on an entry-level road bike, give this one a try. By not having the overpriced Shimano STI shifters, you’ll save hundreds of dollars, and you’ll hardly miss them.

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TOTAL WEIGHT AND DIMENSION. Anyone can let me know total weight and dimension of this product when it’s still in box? Many thanks

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