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Pitch Black Theology
Pitch Black is an exciting sci-fi thriller of about space travelers being marooned on a planet faced by an attack of its indigenous nocturnal creatures. It smacks of many movies in the history of cinema, Aliens being the first which comes to mind, but the movie is very unique in several points. One is Vin Diesel's charismatic performance as the anti-hero Riddick. Physically impressive with his baritone voice Diesel's presence controls the film from beginning to end. However, I enjoyed the film as there are some unique portrayals of religion that are rarely seen in movies that deserve to be mentioned. This is done through the character of Imam played by Keith David, which is contrasted and challenged by Riddick during the movie. I believe the screenwriters wisely chose the image of a Muslim religious leader rather than the traditional Christian clergyman. It was wise in the sense since Hollywood has often portrayed Christian ministers in the past as being hypocritical, indecisive, insipid, close-minded and so gentle to even appear effeminate. Hollywood is yet to commonly portray Muslim leaders in this way and this is what provides credibility for the audience regarding Imam's character. This is not to say there are not strong Christians, but cinema has influenced the culture to an extent that portraying such an image would be difficult to believe by an American audience. It is through the Imam that the issue of faith is brought up.Spoiler alertImam is contrasted with Riddick who brazenly confesses that he does believe in God, but states that He is apathetic at least and sadistic at worst. However, Imam's belief does not waver despite Riddick's mocking of his faith even when a turn of natural events puts the survivors in jeopardy. In the end though it is Riddick's character, which changes due to the sacrifice of the Captain, Carolyn Fry who refuses to abandon anyone on the planet even Riddick. Fry ends up going back for a wounded Riddick and dies in the process. Riddick is shocked that anyone would sacrifice his life for him; especially this woman who knows that Riddick was willing to leave stranded the remaining survivors to save himself. Riddick is floored physically and emotionally with disbelief that anyone would sacrifie their life for anyone especailly him as he sees Fry's body being taken away. Such an act of self-sacrifice is Christ-like in nature and resonates Jesus' Crucifixion. This sacrifice is what produces an inward change in him expressed when after they escape from the planet he states that Riddick died back on the planet.Altogether this was an interesting film, which raised philosophical and theological issues. Although the issue of God and human suffering are not given a thorough presentation in the movie it is expressed enough to make one think. One thing I have realized about this film is that it was released before the terrorist attack of 9/11, and I wonder how receptive the American audiences would be to having a Muslim being portrayed favorably in the movie, and what would the reaction be if released a year and half later than it actually was. Having watched this film recently, I appreciated seeing a character who is religious in nature and not being portrayed as fanatical, hypocritical, or banal. The screenwriters created some worthwhile characters, and I await to see further adventures of Riddick after the Chronciles. | 1positive
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Wow.. Bad.
As with a couple of the other reviewers, I read Mr. Tyler's first novel, "Tricks of the Trade" and actually enjoyed it.. it had a good premise and a character we were able to get to know."Hunk House" has a good premise, but as much as I hate to sound harsh, this book is a complete waste. I don't expect to be reading North & South when I pick up a book that has almost-naked men on the cover, but come on.. the TV show in the story is constantly on the brink of disaster, and so is this book.I'm disappointed that the best this author could do with this story is regurgitate stereotypes, have HORRID, trite dialogue and story lines (i.e. characters who go from straight to gay in less than a paragraph) and an acid-tongued protagonist who lacks talent for anything other than swapping one-liners with the boss' daughter. Unfortunately, the only things that were even remotely endearing about any of the characters in this book were not revealed until near the end, and by that point I was completely uninterested. Skip this one.. | 0negative
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Not my cup of tea
I can't bring myself to bag on any book too badly because where I might hate it, I don't want someone else to not read it because it may be the very thing they're looking for. It's always a matter of taste and tastes vary, of course.That said,First, Patterson's work seems bland in my opinion. There's no real style or action in his writing. The dialogue seems forced, the scenes just cardboardish, etc. It just doesn't pop. I found myself skipping entire paragraphs in self-defense, and his books are pithy to say the least, which really cut into the book.Second, and most importantly in my mind, Patterson's works are supposed to be somewhat realistic. Or at least plausible. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As a career LEO I know that no book gets it right. If they did the hero would be at the station doing paperwork the entire book and wouldn't THAT be exciting. But I mean, c'mon. I had this book figured out half way through. In a Patterson book simply pick the most improbable character you can think of to be the bad guy and viola, there you have it. This one was no exception. The bad guy choice was ridiculous.I've tried three different Patterson books and this one was the worst of the lot. I've tried to like his writing, but I guess it's just like me and tomatoes - not meant to be.I left this one unfinished in the seatback pocket of the plane I was on. Hopefully someone found it who will enjoy it. | 0negative
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Boring Boring Boring Boring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have read many books ie: Christine Feehan, Judith McNaught, Stephenie Meyer, Kathleen Woodiwiss are some of my favorite authors, just to name a few. I have been looking for some new authors and got referred to Christina Skye. OMG, what a waste of my time. Is this the best she can do! In a few words BORING, BORING, BORING! I have never struggled this much to read a book! I also hate the female character, I mean come-on she is selfish and stubborn! She is better off dead! The neighbor in the leotard sounds more interesting:) Sorry, this will have to go on my top ten books of worst book every read!BORINNNNGGGG! However, I believe in second chances and I will try one more book by Christina and see if she can redeem herself!Gosh this was so boring. Make sure you do not buy this book! Its not worth your money! | 0negative
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Good stuff.
I used some of this to build a turbo adapter on my truck. It welded great, seems to be good stuff. It was also the best deal I could find on a small quantity. | 1positive
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Entertaining to Awful
In the beginning, I thought this was the best novel that Sue Grafton had ever written. There was a great plot, numerous twist and turns and just enjoyable reading. Then the end of the book came and what a disappointment. It was confusing and left you feeling that you had just wasted your time reading the book. | 0negative
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Another ...cashing in on Kid Rock
Another awful outing by someone who doesn't deserve any of the radio play he gets. You'd think someone who backs up Kid Rock would put out something cool and upbeat to listen to. Instead, some wonderful songs to fall asleep to. Listening to the yawner, drift away, sure isn't gonna make me wanna buy this junk. One thing, though, this is a half star better than his last album. | 0negative
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Modern Legend
I bought this CD for the well-known track, "She's Royal". I was beyond stunned to find that that particular song - in my opinion - is one of the lesser songs on this album. This album is beautiful & I can play it teh whole way through without skipping. There are several serious gems on this album such as Lion Paw, Africa Awaits & My Baby that I think will become legends in their own right. Get this CD, it is one of the only roots reggae albums besides Bob Marley's that I believe deserve to be labeled a classic. | 1positive
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Really disappointed.
These bulbs really do burn out fast. Which means you are in for alot of bulb changing. And when they are high up in your ceiling...this is not so fun. I'd say you get what you pay fo, but you don't. Not even at this price. | 0negative
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Entertaining
This movie was funny and for the most part family friendly. Pole dancing scene the exception. Good entertainment for adults. | 1positive
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interesting... but a little frightening
This book held my interest, and the writer does an excellent job . But it is frightening to think there are people that will go to great lenghs to try to stop the government from doing things such as the story in this book portrays. I also have heard it will be made into a movie. If done properly, and with the right director, it should be an equally interesting movie. Lynn Rose | 1positive
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DO NOT BUY A SONY CLIE TJ27!!!
The Clie TJ27 is a piece of garbage!!! I wish I had stuck w/Palm. Not only do very essential features not work, but Sony product support is worthless and time consuming. Here is a list of what is not working:1. Power/Hold button does not correctly, therefore the screen backlight is always off. I've trouble shooted this w/Sony, the power button is not working correctly & they confirm this2. The 'capture' button for the camera is inoperable.3. Silk screen area is unresponsive, rendering this PDA worthless4. Sony support sucks. As I write this, I have been on the phone w/them on hold for over 2 hours!I have attempted to return the Clie to the place of purchase, but they would not take it because I bought it 38 days ago & their return policy is 30 days. NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY A SONY PRODUCT ON ANY KIND!!! SAVE YOUR MONEY!!! GET A PALM OR HANDSPRING!!! | 0negative
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Sterling Silver Gymnast Charm
The item arrived on time. It was a gift for senior gymnasts leaving our program. I will be getting these for all my seniors at the end of their career. | 1positive
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It's the same thing!
I have the original DS,and I read some bad reviews about the DS lites, so I kept my DS and got a lite to compare.The lite is basically the same system with a few minor tweaks, like brighter screens and a bit smaller. So what?The original DS is actually more stable than the lite, and you can still play the same games as on the lite.I just want to say, if you have the original DS, then don't get a lite, because it's a waste of perfectly good money. | 0negative
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Practically Useless, gave it away
Very very heavy, loud, lots of vibration, hard to change blades, table is bare steel so it corrodes easily. I gave it away and I'm shopping for something thats actually useful. | 0negative
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This is horrible
OK, I am a really big blink fan. I have been ever since Enema of the State came out but when I got this video for christmas a couple days after I got it I watched it and found out this video was horrible. I watched the first five minutes of it and then I just had to turn it off.First of all it had on it was all this junk about Porno stars and everything. I think the only relation to blink 182 this would have is their name on the video and that Janine from their album cover used to be a Porn star. This movie is horrible and I think if Mark, Tom, or Travis saw this they might find it a tad bit funny but might be annoyed by the fact that their name is on it and it has barely anything about them on it. This is a horrible video and I would not recommend buying at whatever age you may be. | 0negative
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nothing but trouble
The 7700 was ok but not great in ME after I upgraded to XP it was all downhill FAST!!!!!! ALMOST NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT, DON'T BUY ANYTHING FROM VISSIONEER unless you like being on hold for 30 min. Then poor stafing (...)Email support no help at all just general answers, no help!!!!!!!!!! (...) | 0negative
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Great for the Price!
I am purchasing this camera since it has 4MP and reasonably priced as compared to other models with similar features but it did not include any product description which made me wonder. I asume it can take videos and can be used with windows XP otherwise Im sending it back. Hoping its what Im looking for but the Samsung Digimax U-CA3 3.2MP Digital seems to offer more features. | 1positive
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My Mom Told me....
My Mom told me if you can't say anything good about something,...... say nothing at all about it...OK, The acting wasn't horrible, but the talents of everyone involved seemed wasted. What a shame. | 0negative
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Love Van Eli Women's Frankie Flats!!
I have been buying Van Eli Women's Frankie Flat for years! They are not only chic but also so-o-o comfortable - AND they are available in many NEUTRAL colors, which is especially handy when I travel (I don't have to pack lots of different shoes). I continue to buy replacements as my 'old ones' wear out!! I hope this style is never discontinued!!!! | 1positive
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no for dummies
Do no buy this if you are not a repair watch professional. I just want to replace the watch batery but not instruction wich tool to use.again I do not recommend to a dummy. | 0negative
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Response To an Eminem Hater (By The Way, I hate Eminem)
Theres that long review about how Eminem has no taste. I agree. Though I am an Eminem hater (ever since he bashed the King of Pop), I dont' agree with that one review. How could you say "everyone makes fun of MJ". MJ is the most respected, and BIGGEST SELLING RECORDING ARTIST IN HISTORY! He is the most successful and most generous sympatheic warm-hearted person.I had to mark that one reviewer's review as "not helpful".MJ IS INNOCENT!visit my site: www.mjacksonweb.tripod.com | 0negative
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Negative 5 Stars: Unappealing Product, Exaggerated Savings
[...]I noticed that AMZN has edited my original review. For the record, I bought my set from AMZN for $180 and I have never paid the original ticker price of $1,000. I bought the set because of past good experience with Doulton and AMZN.I must say I am extremely disappointed:- There is no way this set is worth the $1,000 original ticker price. The make is crude and rough on the edges; the finish looks more like some dirt cheap stoneware than fine porcelain and has none of the natural luminousness that normally radiates from china.- The design of the set is appalling. There is only one metallic ring around the plates/cups with a color that resembles the hospital sheets.- The surface of the plates looks unpolished, with small bumps here and there. It makes you feel like looking at an adolescent pimply face. Just imagine eating from it.- The very small picture posted on Amazon's website certainly has its purpose: it obstructs a close inspection. And you cannot find any information on Doulton's website. I start to wonder whether these plates are genuinely Royal Doulton.I am returning mine to Amazon tomorrow! It's heavy and is a waste of time! And please look somewhere else for the set that you desire.--------------------------------Some of the more recent reviewers seem to have a positive experience with their purchase. I think there could be 2 reasons to that:- These reviewers can not tell the difference between China and cheap stoneware; or- My purchase was counterfeit. But I consider this a remote possibility. | 0negative
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Misery...but in a good way
Although this movie in many ways can really drag you down for about the 1st hour of it. It keeps you interested and drags you into the plot. Halle and Billy Bob are both exceptional in this movie in the lead roles. I'm surprised at the criticism this movie got for the "demeaning" role that Halle played. Halle's role was very tough and demanding and her character was a very strong character. Their is a lot of coldness in this film as well...but I don't want to give away too much of the plot. Nevertheless it is a fantastic movie just can be extremely depressing at times. Halle deserved the oscar for her role and Billy Bob should have gotten it for his. | 1positive
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When did 3 boobs become PG-13?
This movie had some great twists and great effects. Unfortunately, one of those effects was "nudity". I guess, as a Mom of 14 year old, I thought that PG-13, would not have nudity in it. Just glad that we saw it before we watched it with our kids. Can someone tell me when nudity became okay for something other than an R rating? They could have left that whole part out, and it would have been fine. So sad, that they thought it would be a better movie for the young and old when they decided to even spend money on that part! Just goes to show, you can't trust the rating system anymore! Signed, A Sad Mom | 0negative
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Awesome!
Writer, producer, director Juill Jonz has quite an imagination. I loved this movie and look forward to more of his work. | 1positive
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Very Inspirational
I happened to discover this book at a local comic book store. After flipping through the first couple pages I knew I had to get it. John Buscema is an amazing artist. His knowledge of the figure is uncanny. The drawings speak for themselves. This book seriously makes me want to take out a pencil and start sketching away. I highly recommend this book | 1positive
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cheaply made. falls apart
My roommate bought this greenhouse for me as a birthday gift this spring. I received it and immediately put it to work! (late April, 2012) Initially I was estatic because it seemed perfect for my needs and, while I was very careful not to overload it, seemed very sturdy.It was late June that it disintegrated on me. The hard plastic shelves actually seemed to have ripped under the weight of a few herb seedlings. It was outside, but located in a shaded spot.I have contacted Gardman. They have not responded.Bad product. Bad customer service. Spend your money elsewhere. | 0negative
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A Period Drama with Color and Pluck.
"Vanity Fair" is a contemporary adaptation of William Makepeace Thackerays's novel, directed by Mira Nair, who brings rich colors and lush textures of her native India to the film, as trade with far-flung colonies did to the British society of the early 19th century. The story's heroine is Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon), a penniless but ambitious young woman of the 1810's who aspires to marry well and climb England's social ladder. The first thing she does upon leaving school is attempt to cajole her best friend Amelia's (Romola Garai) brother into marriage. When that fails, Becky is delighted to gain the favor of her employer's wealthy sister, whom she accompanies to London. Becky is shown the door, however, when she marries the woman's roguish nephew, Captain Rawdon Crawley (James Purefoy), a gambler and kindred spirit. But Britain is on the brink of war, and Captain Crawley and Amelia's inattentive husband George (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) are off to battle Napoleon's advancing army, leaving their wives in financial peril, a situation that always threatens to foil Becky's best efforts at social advancement.Director Mira Nair's emphasis on the Indian imports that met with some fascination in 19th century England give "Vanity Fair" a richer visual style than one might expect from a period film about a corseted social climber, which is a welcome change from the period's usual drab tones. Becky Sharp is such a self-centered character that she isn't likable. But she has no advantage in the world but her own wits, so she cannot be blamed for using them to her benefit. Reese Witherspoon's interpretation balances the character's fundamental selfishness and misfortune. If Becky were simply a victim, she might be more sympathetic, but she would be weak and uninteresting. Instead, she is a strong character who tries to master her own fate, if sometimes by distasteful means. The film's impressive supporting cast includes Jim Broadbent, Eileen Atkins, Gabriel Byrne, and Bob Hoskins. "Vanity Fair" is a little long, and it may only appeal to those who normally enjoy "period" films. But Becky's determination and pluck, along with the film's vibrant hues give "Vanity Fair" more spice than the typical costume drama.The DVD: Bonus features include 2 featurettes, 8 deleted and extended scenes (including an alternate ending), and an audio commentary by director Mira Nair. "Welcome to Vanity Fair" (11 minutes) talks about interpreting the story for a modern audience, the culture in which it takes place, and includes interviews with Mira Nair, producer Donna Gigliotti, scriptwriter Julian Fellowes, and members of the film's cast. "The Women Behind Vanity Fair" (9 minutes) includes interviews with Nair, Reese Witherspoon, and the film's 3 female producers in which they discuss the character of Becky Sharp and comment on working with a mostly female creative team. Mira Nair provides a good, detailed audio commentary that addresses many aspects of the story and filming. She talks about Thackeray's novel, the cast, the work of the film's various creative teams, directorial decisions, and "Vanity Fair"'s themes. Subtitles are available for the film in Spanish and French. Captioning is available in English. Dubbing is available in French. | 1positive
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The Debut Coming to Video & DVD
If you weren't able to see The Debut because they didn't visit your city, let me tell you, you surely missed out. I saw this movie about 2 years ago, and I loved it. I got to meet Gene and he was so thrilled that people were coming to watch it. If you're filipino, you'll definately appreciate the inside-humor, and even if you're not, you'll still have a great time watching it.I've been waiting for The Debut to come to DVD and it finally is! I think the only place it's available is from their website, ... It's scheduled to be released in September 2003, so keep checking! | 1positive
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A weak load of bunk.
I love Speilberg films, I really do, but the fact that he is a good director is no excuse for this crap. I just do not like it, its not my thing. I can't belive that Richard Dreyfuss turned down reprising his role in Jaws 2 because he was filming this nonsense. If you want to watch it, then go ahead, we all have different tastes. However, if you want to see a real Speilberg film, watch ones like Duel, Jaws, ET, Schindler's list, Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and The Indiana Jones Trilogy. | 0negative
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A soul's pursuit - It's worth the time.
In Breath and Bones, Susann Cokal explores pursuit - of beauty, perfection, art, love, lust, survival and even death. Possessed by their own addictions, each character follows one after another that person they believe will fulfill the missing pieces of their lives.The repetition of the searching threatens to smother the reader until he or she falls beneath the surface of the plot to ponder the compulsions that drive humans toward that something they believe will make them whole.Cokal bids us ask - Are our perceptions and reflections true or merely creatures of our soul's pursuits? | 1positive
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only another scholar can love
This book can only be appreciated by other historians. The writing style is plodding at best. Reading this book requires too much time and concentration. I do not believe the great effort needed to get through this book resulted in my gaining much historical information. Maybe the author should have included more examples from real history to make his points. I admit I am not exactly sure what his important points were and do not believe going back to find them is worthwhile. | 0negative
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Another Must-Read From Natasha Rostova!
Ms.Rostova does it again! Ms.Rostova adapts three modern tales from older fairy-tales and creates a delightful trio of intertwining erotica tales of friendship, sexuality & transformation. Ms.Rostova leaves the reader breathless with a wide varity of sexual explorations and true-to-life characters that mirror today's woman. Brava! An engrossing & fun read! Brava! | 1positive
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Love It!!!
This is so nice, my two dogs really like it too. Good quality, I think it will last a long time. | 1positive
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The League of Extrordinary Gentlemen
Wait till it's shown on your local TV station on a night when you have other plans for the evening. | 0negative
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Saved by the Light
I loved this movie and think it should be released in a DVD Platform. It isa good example of what happens after the death experience. One of many I haveenjoyed. | 1positive
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love these all-belt leashes
I purchased this leash after a similar leash broke after 9 years of use. It is as great as the old one was. Safer alternative to cord retractable leash. | 1positive
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Oh Dear
A dreadful selection of material designed to appeal to third/fourth generation Irish in USA, preferably wearing leprechaun hats and swilling warm Guinness. Hopefully won't be heard in Ireland. | 0negative
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Interesting from the first page to the last!
I really enjoyed "The Ebony Tree." Although I couldn't relate to any of the characters, I thought it was a good read. | 1positive
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Cheap plastic, and only two way motion
Am not sure if everyone has the same view, but the one that I got from the market place seller - could be moved only in two directions, and the third direction is almost not movable at all.The plastic is cheap material, but thats what we get for the price. However, its unacceptable that the tripod doesnt enable us to move in the direction that it has to.Easy to carry, but only a limited 2-way movement possible. | 0negative
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Great read.
Welcome to the real world of E-Commerce. A thorough explanation of how this area of IT is, and will be, looked at for business related concerns. It gets a little too much into the importance of intranets however the relevance is crucial for new business models. This book is on par with Mougayar's on Digital Markets, a must if you want to get into EC. | 1positive
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work with nuvi 660
I bought this to replace a lost car charger for my nuvi 660 GPS. It works great. The connector is mini-USB and is presented on a right-angle head. | 1positive
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CUTE MOVIE!
Very cute movie! However the ending was a little shocking and disappointing, but hey that's just the movie itself. I was able to watch it right after I ordered it so the service was excellent! | 1positive
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Awesome book!
This book has such great rhythm that our kids want to memorize all the words and jump along. We love it! We borrowed this book from a library and the kids loved it so much we had to source a copy from amazon. | 1positive
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scary for 5 minutes, the rest is 50's gold
i swear for about 5 minutes this movie actually scared me! the first part when price described what everybody was gonna do and when was handing out guns. then when the one dude said he was waiting for them to come. those scenes had so much energy and suspense built up around them you would think this was gonna be a wild horror and murder mystery(hey, they gave everybody guns and they all hate each other). but well after those great genius scenes it turns into another 50's cheese fest, still a classic but could have been waaaay better. love the skeleton. | 1positive
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avoid the Penguin Classics edition
What a fun novel: one of the first and best. But you should go with the Signet paperback instead. This one gets hard to read.This edition retains the original, unabridged text as printed, which may sound like what you want but gets to be pretty irritating. Original punctuation is retained, as is the Fielding's italicizing of all character names all the time -- not to mention capitalizing every common noun, as was the German-inspired fashion at the time of publication. Antiquated spellings are also intact. This gets very distracting.I'm glad this is out there, but I'm surprised Penguin did this. It makes the book much harder to read: couldn't they have left such a scholarly edition for some university press somewhere? | 0negative
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Well-intentioned piece of trash
As someone who grew up in Topanga and witnessed the class struggle portrayed in this book first hand, I was excited to read The Tortilla Curtain. The dynamics between the Latino population and the incoming yuppies during the early-nineties is a story well worth telling and makes for a great opportunity to address socio-political concerns within a naturally dramatic framework. Unfortunately, the writer who chose to tell this story has no understanding of humanity, let alone the community he pretends to document. Page after page I looked for one character or situation that was even remotely human -- to no avail.Tortilla reads like one of those hysterical paperbacks from the 1950s. It perpetuates every small-minded, lazy stereo-type imaginable while shedding absolutely no new light on anything what-so-ever. For the purpose of making his book as melodramatic as possible, he creates a fictitious community where the mountains seeth with evil, white people are afraid to leave their homes, Latino rapists abound, and no one ever has one single conversation or thought that reflects any empathy at all.This book is not only a total waste of time, but for someone who actually believes what they read, it will only make them more pessimistic, hopeless, hateful and ignorant then they were before they read it. | 0negative
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Same ol' print used by other companies
No better or no worse than that used by most other studios for release. If you wand a better print I recommend Cold Vengeance (AKA Dawn Rider) since the sound track modification is decent and the picture is much better. | 0negative
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Witless Protection
Bullitt, 1968 filmThe story begins at night as the credits roll. There are gunshots while a car leaves a parking garage. "We lost him." A man takes a taxi, her is being watched. This takes place in San Francisco (the major financial center on the west coast). Lt. Frank Bullitt is called to protect a government witness from organized crime. [Note the vent windows on cars.] Two men enter the hotel room then leave without talking. Bullitt arrives after the ambulances. An unlocked door? The doctors work on the patients. Who will take the blame? An older man enters the hospital and asks a question. There is a chase to the basement. There is a Code Blue in the ICU. Can this be kept secret? Chalmers shows up, the patient was transferred. Will Bullitt be blamed? A hotel clerk identifies a man. Chalmers talks to the Captain at a church. A writ of habeas corpus to produce a missing witness? Johnny Ross was caught with his fingers in the till.One car follows Bullitt until he reverses position. Both cars speed off (to provide the car chase that is part of most action movies since cowboys rode horses). This pads out the film. You see more scenes of San Francisco. [No seat belts!] Shots are fired, a car crashes and burns. The Captain learns the facts from Bullitt. Bullitt visits the motel that Ross called. That woman won't talk to the police. Her luggage contains men's clothes, monogrammed shirts. A facsimile machine sends a photograph. Was there a foul-up over the wrong man? [No TSA screening in those days.] Can this flight be recalled? "He's still my witness." The passengers deplane. One man takes a short cut. Did passengers carry pistols then? There are jet planes on the airport runway. There are shots in the dark. Did Ross get away? "Get back!" People stare at a body. Bullitt returns to his girlfriend. Chalmers is driven away.The ending may surprise you; did you expect it? It seems like part of the story is missing. If they didn't pad out the movie they would have enough time to provide a better ending. While the identity of a person provides a surprise, it makes the authorities look like fools. A ten-minute car chase does not itself make a good story. | 0negative
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Poincare wuz robbed
The title of Galison's misadventure looked promising: Einstein - check, Poincare - check, maps - check, empires - check. What could be more timely and illuminating?Don't let the title fool you.Einstein's Clocks roughly consists of two themes. The first is a history of the nascent telegraph and the role it quickly played in synchronizing time. The account Galison presents -- of disparate railroad networks and schedules, of the herculean effort by the British to lay undersea cable, or of the political skirmishes over standards -- is really the only positive feature of the work. However, the history itself should be a volume in its own right, without one-or-another thesis layered on top of it. The reader is left wanting more, craving greater depth and detail.The second theme is a disaster. Galison attempts to show that synchronization of time so thoroughly saturated then-contemporary culture that Einstein's theories of relativity were natural byproducts of the age and not the revolutionary leap so often portrayed. Problems of simultaneity and synchronization would inevitably lead to relativity. Writes Galison, "Einstein had constructed his relativity machine out of a material world of synchronized clocks. [293]"Unfortunately, Galison's justification is thoroughly unconvincing, leaving the reader with numerous doubts. For example, why, after the development of his special theory of relativity, did it take Einstein ten years to develop the general version, and why, during that time, did nobody else propose it? Why was Einstein lauded across the globe for his first innovation when most physicists at the time were at least passingly familiar with Poincare's work? It is as if Poincare's use of the phrase "time dilation" is enough to wrest away Einstein's laurels. Indeed, Galison contends that much of the ground for ideas attributed to Einstein was in fact laid by the passed-over Poincare. On an abstract level, this type of contention isn't normally an interesting or effective one. Galison might as well argue that Newton was no great genius because gravity was all around him. What is the big deal about looking at the heavens and realizing that celestial bodies obey identical rules of motion to those here on earth?Matters get worse. The author seems to harbor a weirdly personal grudge against Einstein: "No longer could Einstein breezily omit the work of his contemporaries.... Poincare's name was nowhere among the thirty-two footnotes. [294]" Moreover,in the absence of a non-trivial connection between two concepts, say, between relativity and signal-exchange, Gallison resorts to merging or inventing words: "electrosynchronization [314]", "anarcho-clockism", and so on.Put together, these blemishes -- an unsatisfying thesis, awkward writing, and the author's unseemly personal investment in long-dead historical figures -- add up to disappointment and frustration on the part of the reader. | 0negative
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Please listen to all of the reviews... This product will put your cat's life at risk!!
Purchased this at my local Target because of the price, and it LOOKED like a decent product so I figured I'd try it. Put it on both of my cats that evening, and less than an hour later they started acting WEIRD. They starting spitting up and slobbering all over the place, and their whole bodies were twitching badly. Their personalities were strange as well, my cats are both very social and love coming to you, but at this point they were afraid of me and hiding under the couch. I decided to go to old faithful Amazon to look at reviews for this stuff to see if others had a similar experience. Sure enough, they did. Right away I washed down both of my cats with dawn dish soap and prayed for the best, but still had my emergency vet on speed dial. It has now been a couple of weeks and thankfully both of my cats are doing just fine (must be the 9 lives concept)! In this case I learned you get what you pay for. Don't risk your cats' lives to save a few dollars. I am back to using Advantage II. | 0negative
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Text is reader-friendly
I am using this book to teach an undergraduate psychology course. The authors present the material in a reader-friendly format. I prefer this text to Hilgard's. | 1positive
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You'd be better off buying a pair of turds
Sennheiser should be ashamed to sell products of this low quality. The coiled cable is a terrible design that does nothing besides make them much harder to get untangled. The earphones come with a variety of little interchangeable parts but they attach so loosely that they are ripped off and lost within a matter of days under normal use (as in, putting them into and taking them out of your pocket). First, both of the decorative plastic pieces fell off. Then the rubber discs fell off that form part of the twist-to-fit system. Then the rubber rings around the speakers themselves fell off. I threw the earphones away after I had run out of the various spare parts that Sennheiser includes with the earphones.Moreover, the sound quality just isn't good. Not as good as the stock ipod earphones, and certainly not anywhere close to Sennheiser good. | 0negative
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Kidz Bop 7? Just stop the insanity
To be honest with all the customers, I practically had an ear aneurysm followed by a brain hemorrhage after hearing a few seconds of Kidz Bop. Honestly, I leave tightly packed products in my toilet that are more interesting and stimulating than this...If you are seriously considering purchasing this product, you should seriously consider investing in health insurance for your children too, as they might have seizures and fall into comas after hearing such densly packed crap emmitting from a speaker. Kidz Bop 7? Should have named it "drink coaster #7 that doubles as a frisbee" | 0negative
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Wilfred
Possibly one of the best shows ever produced. Comedy, morality lesson, societal observation, it has so many levels on which it works. You can think about it or just sit back and enjoy. | 1positive
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Fast shipping, item in good shape
Item arrived quickly and seems to be in great shape! I would deffinately purchase from this sellar again in the future. | 1positive
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Great piece!
I have the whole V&B Switch 3 set, and this is one of my most used pieces - perfect for serving just about anything. Liked the 1st one so much that I got another. I was surprised to see the 1 star review - then I noticed that's more of a amazon review and not really a product review. So, if you can get it, it's great! | 1positive
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Good Quality
A good product. Overall quality is impressive for $15. I would recommend this to any one in need of a mount. | 1positive
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The best book ever written about teenage life.
This is the finest and most truthful look at high school life ever! Chbosky does a brilliant job at portraying the every day disfunctions of adolecence, and doesn't make high school seem like a cake walk. His main character, Charlie, is not your typical 90's teen. He is not a jock or a bully or a goof-off, he is a real person with real problems. This is the first book that I ever connected to and could understand on a deep emotional level. This should be required reading in high schools. As a teenager, I have noticed that the overall levels of respect that teenages have has gone down. I could only wish to know more people like Charlie. | 1positive
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Purpose: Project management templates
The biggest part of managing a large project with deliverables is knowing the timing and details of your deliverables to make sure that all pieces are in place and planned for...time and resource wise. This book is a huge help in providing those pieces. Whether you use all the pieces or not it gives you the details you need to think through before you incorporate a deliverable and help you weigh how much detail and effort needs to be a part of it. | 1positive
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satisfied customer
Since I was ordering during the Christmas season, I was very pleased that the product came at a rapid time in order to gift it for someone else. Thanks | 1positive
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The Old Growth Bible
THE authoritative tome on Old Growth. Layperson, student and professional will all benefit from reading this historic document from one who was there and lived through the beginnings of research on this precious resource. | 1positive
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i was disappointed...
i know it's only the early seventies, but the audio, video, and production were not good. this should NOT have ever been put on dvd. what a waste... | 0negative
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Blind Swordsman = Incredible viewing
This is one of my favorite Zatoichi films. The best thing about Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) is that he can play a role with such sincerity and emotional involvement that he can pull you in to any one of his roles. He has had quite an acting career in Japan, this being his 7th Zatoichi full length feature. I think this is where the movies started going in a different direction. All of the movies are great. But this one in particular starts to show the true cinematography and action that really defined these movies and Katsu as truly ahead of there time.The funny thing about these movies are,you don't even need to like martial art movies to like Zatoichi. ALL of the movies have an intricate plot and story line. Very impressive!I'm extremely excited that they finally came out with good transfers to DVD of the Zatoichi movies. Very good Quality and a very good movie. | 1positive
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piece of junk
This adapter is a piece of junk. I took it to Italy and it worked twice and then quit working. I tried different outlets...everything, and no luck. Fortunately I always take a back up adapter but with all the devices that need charging having only one is a hassle. If I could rate this 0 stars I would. Save your money and don't take a chance on this worthless device. | 0negative
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Generalizations with no supporting data
John Gray certainly sounds convincing as he outlines for us the roles men and women must play in order to successfully navigate the dating game. But the roles he proposes are just too rigid to be realistic. He attempts to convince us that the man must be the pursuer and the woman the pursued, with little supporting evidence to back up his claims, aside from testimonials of people attending his seminars and clinics. This book ranks up there with "The Rules" for moving male/female relations back into the dark ages. Believe it or not, Dr. Gray, there are men out there who admire a woman who goes after what she wants, even in relationships. | 0negative
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Freinds Take A Break
The third season of Friends is most notable for the breakup of the Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) relationship that had been a large part of the first two seasons. As with most TV shows, complacency is the quickest root to cancellation, so the instead of keeping the two together, they break them up. During the course of the first half of the season Rachel leaves her job as a waitress and meets a good looking guy, Mark (Steven Eckholdt, who now stars on My Big Fat Greek Life), who helps get her a job a Bloomingdale's. Ross is immediately jealous as he says to Rachel no guy helps a girl just out of the goodness of his heart. Rachel thinks he is being ridiculous and Ross' impending jealousy puts a strain on their relationship. The breaking point comes when Rachel tells Ross she has to cancel their anniversary plans because she has to work late, he shows at her office with a picnic style dinner. Rachel is incensed and she says they should take a break. Ross goes to a party with Joey (Matt LeBlanc) & Chandler (Matthew Perry) and ends up sleeping with Chloe (Angela Featherstone) a girl who works at a copier store that both Joey and Chandler have the hots for. Ross tries to hide the affair from Rachel, but eventually she finds out from Gunther (James Michael Tyler), which to an all-night fight that ends up with Rachel leaving Ross. Ross explains his infidelity by saying "we were on a break", which would become a much repeated line that would surface in most subsequent seasons. The rest of the season deals with the breakup until the season ending episode where the gang goes to the beach in search of Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) father and Ross finds out that Rachel still has feelings for him. While the main plot line is the Ross-Rachel relationship, there are plenty of other great episodes including a flashback episode where we go back to a time set one year before the series began, the introduction of the duck & chick into Chandler & Joey's apartment, a hilarious Thanksgiving episode in which Monica's (Courtney Cox) and Ross' old sibling rivalry comes out in a touch football game, Ben Stiller has a great guest spot as a new boyfriend of Rachel's who screams at Ross and no one believes him about it, Chandler starts smoking again and an episode where he uses a hypnosis tape to help him quit, but it is geared towards women and an early season episode that shows the true greatness of the show in which the entire episode is spent with Ross trying get everyone ready for an important banquet. It shows the subtly and genius of the actors and writers to take such a simple plot and expand it out over the course of a half-hour with hilarious results. Season three is bogged down a bit by the heaviness of the breakup and also a ridiculous plot line involving Monica and Pete (Jon Favreau). Monica first meets Pete at a diner she is working at and doesn't think much of him, but she goes out with even though she's not all that interested. It turns out that Pete is a software mogul who incredibly rich. She dates him and when Monica thinks he's bought her a ring, it turns out he is going to fulfill his dream by entering the extremely violent Ultimate Fighting Championship. The relationship doesn't really click at all from the start and the ridiculous fighting championship plot is not up the usual high standards of the show. That being said, Season three is still first rate and continues to include excellent performances by all of the cast members. | 1positive
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A Fantastic Continuation to an enthralling series
I must say that I have been waiting with baited breath for this instalment of the series and David Weber has not disappointed me with this instalment. HH is no longer directly involved in the battle scenes but the action is no less furious behind the scenes on Manticore. This book has it all, with events that delight the reader happening to both our friends and our enemies, as well as some fantastic plot elements that leave me dying by slow torture waiting for the next book. Bring on more Honor! | 1positive
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Contact
This was a purchase for my granddaughter for her science class. She loved it. This will be in her library. | 1positive
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Not informative or sexy...
The book does not give enough actual advice or instruction on massage itself. It seems to focus more on the idea of intimacy, which can't be learned from a book anyway. The photos were distracting and not useful for technique at all. I would not recommend this book to anyone. I paid $4 for it and that was way too much. | 0negative
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You will NOT write a movie in 21 days...
...at least not one that's actually sellable, or that has enough depth and craftsmanship to survive in the real-world marketplace. To think otherwise is to be laughably naive. Having said that, I strongly recommend this book!Why the discrepancy? Simple. I've been writing for years, off and on. I've read dozens of screenwriting books, and taken a few of the big screenwriting courses. I've started writing about 50 screenplays, and completed about 3 of them.One of the troubles I had (sound familiar?), is that I would begin writing, get about 30 or 40 pages into it, and then stop. Either I went off-course, I began to hate my concept or characters, thought my writing was atrocious, or came up with "a better idea." The result? Dozens of half-completed screenplays.A writer writes. And writing is re-writing. You'll never fully appreciate these clichés until you ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND WRITE! And don't stop!The script I wrote when I actually APPLIED this book (about 2 years after I bought it) was written in about 48 days. Hmmph! But you know what? It was WRITTEN. It was complete. It was my first, fully-completed screenplay. And it was actually pretty darn good.Truth be told, when you finish writing the script Viki King helps you get out on paper, it will likely be only a FIRST DRAFT. Chances are, there'll be a lot more work to do. Re-writing. Making it more organic. Adding depth and breadth to your characters. Expanding your subplots and building elements necessary to your story that Viki's book overlooks (things experience will teach you). But if you've never written a screenplay before (or never completed one you like), this book will talk you through it. And it will give you the basic tools needed to actually complete it. Because before you can re-write, hone, and perfect... you need to get it on paper in the first place!Make no mistake about it. If you buy into the idea that you'll get this book and have a sellable screenplay a month later, you'll be disappointed. You're not a writer. You're a get-rich-quick wishful thinker. Writing screenplays is a tough business, let alone a difficult process. It just doesn't happen overnight.The power and beauty of this book is its ability (if you actually FOLLOW it) to help you get through the battle that happens inside, when you sit down to write. It will get your script on paper. It will make you a writer. The quality of your writing gets better with experience. Applying the principles of this book will give you that experience.Also: Others have accused this book of being "spiritual". It's not. It's motivational, it's inspirational, it's conversational. Just what a first-time or would-be writer needs to overcome his battle with himself.Some people talk. Other people act. Those who act will get value out of this book.As I write this review, the script I wrote (in, umm, 48 days) is currently in post-production. And the script I'm working on now is even better.It's a process. And this is a wonderful first step. A wonderful tool to help you through the self-imposed barriers to succeeding at this craft. | 1positive
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not enough
i bought the book when i bought the car, a 73 targa , and although the book covers some things , it's just not enoughit tells you a couple of things about buying one, enough to start thinking about it, but it isn't enough to be your main source of porsche knowledge, it's to average, and the pictures are just to dark and undetailedthe engine revision part is next to useless as it barely covers engine teardown , and doesn't cover the world of differences in types and models of 911 enginesfor DIY , 101 projects for your 911 , for engine DIY , How to rebuild your 911 engine , both from Wayne Dempsey are more valuable, and indeed a must have...this one just isn'tand no , i'm not a kid, i'm just lazy and didn't feel like filling in forms and stuff | 0negative
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Beautiful poetry
I'm really enjoying the poetry in this book - its beautifully written and leaves you with interesting thoughts to contemplate. Glad I bought it! | 1positive
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Garbage
I bought one of these and had to have the company send me a new one. All that I had was constant static and the caller id call waiting didn't work. I decided to return the first one and send the second one back to the company. Save your money and time and aggravation. Don't buy this. | 0negative
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OOOOoookkkkkkay
This book has nothing except ways to get characters. It can be found on the net. | 0negative
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Beautiful edition of the classic
Got this as a gift for my girlfriend and she really loved it. The binding and printing is really beautiful and they look great on a shelf. Probably ok to read as well. | 1positive
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Egypt, before it was Europeanated
for those who keep on insisting that the ancient Egyptians were not black try again, for one, the original language of the Egyptians came from the ethiopians being that they were the ones who had expanded their culture and concepts for spiritual reasons and so they built Egypt, so please lets go much further than 1,000 or so yrs when much of the original has been replaced with nomadic b.s the simple fact that Egypt is now populated by caucasion or semite muslims should speak volumes to anyone who understands how that came about not to mention the whole christianity dogma that preceded it lol, please ppl lets not just rely on chopping down one person who has just as much exaggeration in his material as ms mary lol everyone knows that the past precedes its inheritors in all accounts, so for ppl to keep trying to convinced themselves and the rest of the world that the ancients were not black this is a empty attempt just look at the evidence in the paintings and sculptures, they left plenty of evidence of who they were as they still are outside of nomadic influences of semites and caucation invaders surely you can do better than going back thousand yrs, laysa, the deeper you dig the blacker the artifacts will be, and for any black historian to cover this up, then they are just sell outs to the truth just as history has always shown these brown nosers, still trying to be what you are not huh? lmao! | 0negative
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Great Gazoo styling and works fine too!
I gotta admit, my favourite thing about the WAP-11 is the cool stylish look. With the cute little antennae sticking it up it sort of looks like a blue version of the Great Gazoo.Bought the WAP-11, a WPC-11 PC card, and a WUSB-11 to attach a laptop and a Windows PC to my home lan. No real problems setting things up, including configuring wep encryption. Things don't always match up with the documentation and other linksys products 100%, but close enough that it isn't too tough to figure things out. For example, the wap-11 and wpc-11 let you enter the encryption key using a pass phrase, but the wusb-11 makes you type in the actual keys in hex.I find the range to be perfectly reasonable - at least I can work all over my house. Even when the link quality and signal strength meters drop down to below 20% I get fine performance.The install and configuration is Windows centric - this can be an issue if you are (like me) mostly linux. You need a windows box with a usb port to do initial configuration - fortunately I have one (whew). Once you have this done, you can use snmp for subsequent configuration, though even then by far the easiest approach is to use the provided windows based client software. It would be nice if the unit picked up an IP via dhcp and had a linux client for lan access - thus dispensing with the need for the usb/windows hokiness. From their site, it seems that this may be coming.All in all, the blue gazoo has me writing this review from the comfort of my living room where I get to hang out with my wife - instead of trapped by a wire in the office. What could be better than that? | 1positive
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It had potential, but fell far short of it.
I had high hopes for this film, but came away from the ending credits feeling unsatisfied. At times the pace was very slow and the momentum of the movie was lost in scenes that failed to propel the story forward. For a gangster film, there was very little violence or action. The journey that the main character goes through helps build the tension of the film towards the anticipated climax. Unfortunately, what we end up seeing falls short. Instead, I was left feeling confused and denied a sense of completion. The story was not told fully. It was like a whole chapter of the book was torn out and we are left with having to make up the ending ourselves. | 0negative
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Getting Way Too Mainstream
I remember back when Metallica was one of the best and most powerful bands out there, now they seem to have just lost what they used to have. Most of this CD sounds like it was recorded inside of a steel drum and they just don't have that Metallica sound that they had before. Given everyone says that bands must change and all that other stuff that they say, but with Metallica, why change something that was soooo good??!! | 0negative
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Some good mostly bad
I expected a little bit more from something that P-Diddy would sign his name to. There were maybe 3 really funny comedians out of 18 I think. Some parts were down right boring. However I will say when it was funny it was FUNNY. I would say Netflix this if possible. | 0negative
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For History Buffs
What happened to the old dynasties before the great war? The Ottoman Empire, The Austria-Hungarian Hohenzollern Empire, the Romanov's, The Hapsburg's and Tudors? The world was changed completely and forever and this 50 year old book will open your mind. Definately one to keep and re-read as I do over the past years. It puts the present day euro-politics into perspective. | 1positive
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The best survey of optical engineering
Without doubt, this is the best general survey of optical engineering, in or out of print. The book shows both the author's broad experience as well as his ability to apply theory to practice. The book is far superior in its selection of topics and in clarity and accuracy of presentation to the alternatives, particularly Shannon's book. The book is useful for engineers or scientists from other fields who need to learn some optics, and for experienced practitioners who need a reference and refresher on particular topics. For example, try to calculate the spectral radiance of a blackbody at a particular wavelength and temperature using the formula in your college physics text, then see how Smith treats the same topic; if you got within an order of magnitude of Smith's correct answer from the college text, give yourself a gold star. The second edition's only weakness was its sparse references; I haven't seen the third edition so this may have been improved. However, this still puts Smith's book ahead of Shannon's, which has no references whatever. If you only buy one book on optics, this should be it. | 1positive
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Remorseless, brutal, utterly necessary
Some aspects of McTeague are a little on the amateurish side; it can be psychologically clumsy, and some of the symbolism seems a bit labored (hey, Norris was in his twenties, whaddaya expect?). This, however, is irrelevant, because, truly, it is the most visceral novel I've read in ages, pulling no punches, and with easily the most nightmarish ending I've ever encountered in a 'realistic' novel (whatever you do, don't spoil it for yourself). Norris's single token attempt at lightening the mood is a secondary romantic subplot, but really, you'll be so overwhelmed by the novel's main thread, you'll barely notice.Norris was heavily, heavily influenced by Zola, and it shows on ever page. And, while his writing might not be up to that of The Man at his height (though if he hadn't died at thirty-two...the mind reels at the possibilities), he nonetheless displays all of Emile's best tendencies: the talent for atmosphere, the firm refusal to ever relent, the simply-drawn but deeply memorable characters...it's all there. Written in English, by an American. One of those things that might contribute to my being proud of my country, if not for various other issues.Seriously, dudes and dudesses...it's difficult for me to imagine how one could fail to be awestruck by this novel. Anyone interested in American fiction, naturalism, or just kickass writing in general should most definitely not miss it. | 1positive
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Not bad at all
Yeah, I know what most of you are thinking. 'Avril is just another little brat in the long line of punk-rock posers'. While yeah, she may not be punk, i wish the so-called 'purists' would just shut up and give credit where credit is due. I don't put much stock in the general music stereotypes, so I'll listen to just about anything and give it a chance. The songs on Avrils latest release didn't come as much of a suprise. Think 'Let Go' with a harder-grungier edge. There's bits of just about everything in this one. "Happy Ending" throws back to her last album and even sounds a bit like Hilary Duff, but with that 'avril' touch. By far my favorite song on the album is 'Fall to Pieces', possibly because it talks about issues that I've experienced recently. Overall, her sound has matured a little, probably with the help of co-writer Chantal Kreviazuk (probably best known for providing a song on the Dawsons Creek Soundtrack). The bottom line is, the songs on this album are GOOD. If you take all your punk stereotyping and throw it aside, you will love this album. Who cares what she's trying to be? Don't pay any attention to all those reviewers who keep giving this album 1 star simply because they feel offended that she's trying to be 'one of them'. Honestly, what is punk these days anyway? Let them have their identity crisis while you go out and buy this album. Its worth it. | 1positive
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Very good CD
I don't write many reviews, but feel compelled to share some thoughts on this CD. While not every song appeals to me, there are a few that really make this collection standout. I'll focus on those:"American Girls" (with Sheryl Crow) is a great pop song and the harmonies between Adam and Sheryl are really strong. Fun song."Good Time" is a surprise. Interesting lyrics and the banjo is a rarely used instrument in pop music, but adds a dimension that makes this band different from all the rest. This song has a really cool sound."Up All Night" is really catchy with great harmonies and paints a picture of what one sees through a cloudy head. Really good song."Holiday in Spain" is another great one. Mellow and thoughtful."Big Yellow Taxi" is a nice treat at 4:49 into the "Holiday in Spain" track. I really like what the band did with this song, and the Vanessa Carlton version adds another dimension that I think makes it even better. It's available for a free listen at countingcrows.com.Bottom line - get this CD. | 1positive
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A printed version of an online travel journal ....
... but without the pictures. After I received this mildly entertaining book I realized it was a printed version of material that I read on a website (the author's, I presume) a couple of years ago. It's basically like reading someone's online journal about his trip abroad--we ate here and I had the lasagna and then we had gelato there and I had this flavor and she had that flavor and then we locked ourselves out of our hotel room and we really liked this hotel in this city at this address, etc. The author and his wife seem like nice and amusing people, but this book would probably be enjoyed most by those who are planning their first trip to Italy. I did enjoy very much his snarky but good-natured remarks about Rick Steves and Frances Mayes. | 0negative
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Mutabaruka Rules.
Dub poetry is the business of original thinkers. If you're not passionate about what you're talking about, don't even worry yourself, you're no poet. (Clear themes, clarity of verbal delivery, a message that is deep and useful to the whole of the world. As a dub poet, your goal is definitely not money or girls, on the contrary, its to make the world a better place for every one. To become a dub poet you need to have thought deeply about life, and the human story. If you cannot do this and you stil want to record your stuff on CD, you bette find someone to help you compose some useful lyrics. However the verbal delivery will still be flat, because the message won't be yours!So I'd say on my list of REAL dub poets I have1. Mutabaruka (the topmost universal revolutionary poet)2. Linton Kwesi Johnson (the originator/urban UK poet)3. Oku Onuora (Yardy Communistlike poet, man of the poor)4. The late Mickey Smith5. And last but not the least a (USA/UK based) guy called MC Ras Tee | 0negative
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Classic Sherlock Holmes
Any Sherlock Holmes fan will enjoy this story, it has all the usual twists & turns of all the Holmes' series and finally, of course, Mr Holmes' brilliant deductions. Sir Arthur wrote during the Victorian Era, so the stories he wrote are quite dated- but still a very interesting time period- indeed this book was published sometime in 1890, only 3 years, (1888), after Jack the Ripper was terrorizing the residents of Whitechapel. Too bad Mr Holmes never consulted on that case! | 1positive
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DVD I am very happy with the dvd movie that I received and the time that it was shipped to me.
I am very happy with the dvd movie that I received and the time that it was shipped to me. | 1positive
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Did I mention tedious...?
Boring, snoring, not in the least alluring...obvious, sophomoric and terribly uninteresting...Oh yes, and did I mention tedious ? I'm sorry, but this book was torture from beginning to end (in my humble opinion). With a background in both Classics and Religion (to some degree) I very much looked forward to reading this book & liking it. There is just something about CSL's writing(s)that does not resonate with me, and I cannot say exactly what. I've read other works by him & felt much the same way afterwards. Perserverance is not always a good or noble thing I suppose, as the time spent reading this book could have been better used in more enlightening pursuits.Similar sentiments have been expressed to much greater effect (for me)in a number ofplaces...from the Bible to the classics to poetry, music, opera etc. *JTQ | 0negative
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Almost a book
In this book caroline is able to label every kind of thought and action known to man. To prove that she is intelligent. 416 pages of labels. A total waste of paper. | 0negative
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Unroyal Royal Ballet
At the time of this writing, there are two other reviews of this performance of "The Sleeping Beauty." (More have been added between that time and this editing of my original review) One reviewer divided her review into four sections: the production, the choreography, the dancers and the video quality. I won't repeat, or cover the same ground that she did, except for the fact that she did comment upon the fact that many previous recordings had been severely abridged. What was she thinking when she reviewed this DVD? EVERY DVD has been abridged, some more or less than others. Therefore, I would like to add a fifth category that was overlooked: the QUANTITY of music.Tchaikovsky's music for "The Sleeping Beauty" is nothing short of magnificent. There is no more beautiful ballet music. It is an atrocity to have so much of this beautiful music excised from any production, especially from one by a world-renowned ballet company such as The Royal Ballet. In this DVD, the Prologue and Act I contain most of the music that Tchaikovsky had written for them, but Acts II and III were completely emasculated. Dance after dance was either totally eliminated or substantially shortened. Perhaps the most beautiful piece of music in this entire ballet is the Entr'acte at the end of Scene 1 of Act II. It is a rhapsody for violin and orchestra that is simply mesmerizing. There have been many live performances during which the audience broke into applause for the orchestra's violinist for his/her magnificent solo work. This Entr'acte is one of the many missing pieces in this DVD. If you will pardon my language, that is an abomination. The Royal Ballet, in this DVD eliminates not only this magnificent Entr'acte, but also the Marche at the beginning of Act III, a beautiful march that is a wonderful introduction to the wedding.I realize that there is no live performance of this ballet that contains absolutely all the music that Tchaikovsky wrote for it. Every ballet company from the Bolshoi and Kirov to local companies eliminate or shorten some of the dances. But this Royal Ballet production has gone further than one would expect from such a world-renowned ballet company.My favorite recording of this marvelous ballet would probably be the Bolshoi recording with Nina Semizorova as Aurora and an absolutely fantastic Yuri Vetrov as Carabosse (I would probably prefer the Altynai Aslymuratova performance with the Kirov Ballet, but that has not yet been released on DVD. Besides the marvelous dancing, this version has more of Tchaikovsky's music than any DVD or VHS that I have seen. On the negative side, however, is the lighting. Whoever was in charge should have been shot. Most of the Prologue and many sections of Acts I-III are in a bluish-purple light that makes the stage so dark that it is almost impossible to see what is happening.). Miss Semizorova is not the most beautiful looking of ballerinas, but that does not detract from her dancing. As to Yuri Vetrov (see also my review of "The Nutcracker" in which he plays Drosselmeyer), I have never seen a Carabosse that comes even close to his interpretation. Watching him is worth the price of the DVD by itself. The ballerina playing Carabosse in this Royal Ballet DVD comes across to me as a mean prankster. Yuri Vetrov projects evil personified. However, unfortunately that version also eliminates the Entr'acte previously mentioned and, also, the Marche at the beginning of Act III. Nothing is perfect. The Kirov, in 1999, performed the absolutely complete ballet as Tchaikovsky wrote it (as near as possible since some of the choreography is lost), but I am unaware of any recording of this version, and my e-mail to the Kirov (now Mariinsky) has gone unanswered.More than one reviewer has stated that a woman is better suited to the role of Carabosse than a man. Neither position is right or wrong. It is simply a matter of opinion. You will notice, however, that a man usually plays the role of Widow Simone in "La Fille Mal Gardee," and men play the parts of the two step-sisters in Frederick Ashton's version of "Cinderella." It is my opinion, and I emphasize that this is an opinion, that a man adds something to these roles that a woman cannot. Take your choice. Form your own opinion.I give this DVD two stars which represent the fact that the picture quality, the sets and costumes, and the music that this production does in fact contain are wonderful. I hope that my editing has made this review a little more useful to you. | 0negative
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SPECIAL MOVIE THAT ENTERTAINS, TEACHES, AND MOVES YOU!
Jack Nicholson at his best.... The movie is just awesome for those who are able to see, feel, and do more than the average individual. A great lesson on humanity and personality, a quality and feature many do not even know about. I can hardly get tired of watching this movie. The more I watch it the more I learn about my feelings and emotions. A must see feature film. Highly recommended classic! | 1positive
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Best shoes ever! But order smaller
These shoes are possibly the best shoes I have ever owned, period. They are sooooooooooo comfortable, go with everything, and are warm when you need them to be and cool when you need them to be, kinda like those elf cloaks from Lord of the Rings. I have mild bunions and really thin sensitive skin on the tops of my toes that shoes usually rub, but I usually wear these without socks even, and they are like wearing nothing- sometimes I even forget I have shoes on, that's how comfortable they are! The first 2-3 days the one heel was stiff and rubbed me a bit, but very soon (within the first week of owning them) the leather just comformed right to my foot. I just have to say they are worth every penny. Even if they cost $250 I still might buy them, that's how great they are. The only only thing is they do stretch a bit in as little as a few weeks, and I would recommend buying just a half size down from what feels like a perfect fit in the store. All in all they are great, and I am planning on buying a second pair in a different color this week. | 1positive
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Works Perfectly!
Works exactly how it should for a great price. But this makes me disappointed in the Konnect 6 with Firewire since it does not have phantom power for the condenser mic. | 1positive
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Good reference for American Films
It is a very well written reference book. It has good, nicely summarized plots of the films withouth revealing the most important aspects. The only drawback is that it is a reference for only American films. It does not mention any European films. | 1positive
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Add Me to the List of "Wyatt Earp" Fans
"Wyatt Earp" tries, in only three hours, to portray fully the broad sweep of the life of a complicated man living in tumultuous times. In large part it succeeds. Costner's Earp is well thought out, and beautifully acted. Costner takes us from the young, warm, wide-eyed western newcomer, filled with ambition, who, as personal trials and tragedy follow him, grows ever harder and colder, until he is a match for the hard and cold world in which he lives. Then he meets Josie, who begins to thaw him out just as he must be harder and colder than ever. "Go home, Josie," he tells her at the critical moment, "thinking about you could get me killed." He doesn't get killed, of course; despite the thaw, when he must, he rises to the challenge. Thinking that such events are behind him, more tragedy befalls him, and he finds more demands fall on him--horrible and difficult demands--before he can again warm to Josie's love. Costner captures all this perfectly.Dennis Quade's performance as Doc Holliday nothing short of astounding. Quade is transformed; he IS Doc. This is surely the closest we'll ever come to seeing the actual man. He perfectly captures the acerbic, resent-filled Holiday, condemend to an early death by disease, trying to cheat his comsumption through reckless, fatal confrontations. His caustic wit and belligerent personality have driven away anyone who might be his friend--everyone but Wyatt. This is surely one of the oddest friendships, and difficult to understand. In the scene where they meet, Doc laments that he will never see his native Georgia again. "I'm sorry" says Wyatt. Quade's Doc's eyes flash as they jerk up to study Earp; he's clearly ready to fly into a homicidal rage if he detects the least falseness. But his glare is met by Costner's steady, unflinching, guileless stare. Doc seems surprised, then pleased, in a roundabout way he proposes they be friends and extends his hand to Earp. Nothing more is needed to explain the odd friendship between the two men. It's a richly textured scene with many layers of understanding, perfectly acted by Quade and Costner--who both obviously understand their characters.Historically accurate? No. His brothers never worked as lawmen in Dodge; Doc was merely grazed on the hip at the famous gunfight and never left his feet; only Morgan, among the Earp party, was down when the shooting stopped; Wyatt never stole a horse--at least in the way portrayed in the film; and much more. But "Wyatt Earp" is certainly much more true to history than any other movie about Earp. We can forgive the dramatic digressions because there is so much that goes far in telling the history.It's long, but it needs to be. I found no part of it dull--though some scenes could have had better pacing. It is one of my favorite movies. I watch it over and over, and I enjoy it each time. I join the chorus asking for it to appear on DVD. | 1positive
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I love this movie!
I saw this movie in a theater last summer, and couldn't wait to get the DVD. It is the best "feel good" movie I have ever seen, and I recommend it to anyone. The music is wonderful, as are the actors. | 1positive
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