Reviews (1014)

Fast food fright
Eric Schlosser presents a thoroughly researched, insightful yet startling expose of the fast food industry. Schlosser starts at the beginning, telling us the success stories of the pioneers of the industry such as Ray Kroc and the Mac Donald brothers.

The rationale for the developement of fast food is explored. With more women in today's workplace, less time is available for the preparation of meals and thus the need for fast food. The marketing of fast food is a subject that is brilliantly conceived by the industry, with children being a major target audience.

The really frightening part of the book deals with the procurement of foods that make up the bulk of our fast food, beef, chicken and potatoes. Schlosser explores in depth the meat packing industry. He takes us inside the slaughterhouses where cattle are prepared for shipment as beef. The deplorable and unsanitary conditions present there are a danger for both the factory workers and consumer alike. Unsafe working conditions cause numerous injuries to the largely unskilled workers there. Tainted beef largely unregulated by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has been allowed into our markets causing both sickness and death. Powerful lobbyists speaking on behalf of the fast food industry quash any legislation that would try to rectify these problems.

The expansion of the fast food industry into foreign markets guarantees that the unsavory practices used to maximize profits for these huge corporations will continue unchecked.

Before taking a bite of your Big Mac pause for a second and consider what transpired to allow that piece of food to be in your hand. You might reconsider that bite!

Upton Sinclair all over again
The New York Times did well to praise the muckraking prowess of Eric Schlosser. Fast Food Nation provides a litany of well-researched, verifiable facts (though some are rather misleading) about the fast food industry. For liberal readers the book reaffirms feelings about big business and fast food, and moderates will feel a great desire to abandon fast food altogether. Conservatives, particularly far-right conservatives, may find the book to be a left-biased, Republican-bashing, illogical rant of conspiracies.
Nonetheless, I encourage people of all political colour to read it (with a very open mind), because it is far from being a crazy leftist rant. On the contrary, it is a powerful exposé, thoroughly documenting the manner in which the fast food industry abuses its workers, the terror of working in a meatpacking plant, and the iron grip the two industries have on the U.S. government. Far from being a conspiracy theory, Fast Food Nation details the extremes to which both industries go to protect their business interests.
Once again, no matter what political background you ascribe to, I highly recomend that you read this book. If approached with an open mind, it will change forever how you view corporate America and fast food.

Appalling. Read it and weep.
Since many other reviewers cover the more repulsive details of Schlosser's book, I will stick to pointing out something I think deserves even more attention: one of the themes of the book is that the fast food industry has its tentacles in EVERY aspect of Americans' lives. Changing this goes far, far beyond bypassing a Big Mac...boycotting fast food is not the same thing as boycotting the fast food industry, when industry practices have made the USDA powerless against meatpackers, advertisers target children as consumers, and schools are taking money for corporate sponsorship.

Reviews (34)

Very good and detailed...
Cons:

-Fully detailed maps that tell where trainers are, which trainers will be added to your Trainer's Eye, items, and sometimes a number. When you see a number on the map, there will be another number somewhere on the page that tells you what to do there (or what happens, etc.)

-Tells where to find items,tm's and hm's,rare and common pokemon, how and when pokemon evolve, the abilities,attack and tm and hm moves they can learn, as well as "egg moves".

-Complete walkthrough of the game, as well as little side quests such as catching Rayquaza.

-Shows every move's damage, accuracy, pp, and effects, as well as what they do in pokemon contests.

Cons:

-Some ability summaries aren't specific.

(This one might not be a con to some)-It doesn't tell how to catch the Regi pokemon, instead, it just has the braille alphabet to help.

-At first, the part of the guide that shows you when pokemon evolve and when they learn moves MIGHT seem complicated...

Overall:5 stars, it's worth it!

A much superior product than their first Gold/Silver guide
Prima's previous Pokemon Gold/Silver guide was not their best effort; it was rushed and most of the Pokemon were not even pictured in the book. This Ruby/Sapphire guide more than makes up for their last guide.

The guide takes the time to describe the new features of Ruby and Sapphire, all the new info you need on capturing, types, status problems and evolving, and it even details the differences between the old Gold/Silver features and the new Ruby/Sapphire features; an "In" and "Out" list, e.g. the clock and Pokegear from Gold/Silver compared to the new Pokenav in Ruby/Sapphire. The breeding section is very helpful, but not thorough or detailed enough for those who want to raise pokemon with special egg moves; it is possible with some work, but it will be great if Prima does another book dedicated to breeding and inheriting special moves like their Master Pokedex for Gold/Silver.

The walkthrough is organized quite nicely, and the screen shots are crisp and clear in beautiful full color. The item list takes a different approach; rather than state exactly where each item is, there are "checklists" where you can check off the items you obtain as you find them in that region. I didn't find this too troublesome. Prima has opted not to list each trainer and their bench of pokemon; I am not thrilled with this omission, but the guide is so well put together, I am willing to grudgingly deal with it, I guess the company wanted to provide players with the element of surprise, so make sure you have a diverse or strong team with you at all times. I am however grateful that the pokemon appearances and frequencies are listed, as well as which one appears in which version when applicable, including appearances in the water when fishing or surfing. The gym leaders and their pokemon benches are still detailed, along with very helpful tips on beating them, the badge won and its effect and the TM provided. I also like how each major and minor event or task is numbered, but you can still complete each task in any order you like. I love the pokedex and how straightforward and streamlined it is; everything you need to know from the nature(s) of each pokemon to its evolution(s) and its branches, but they make a mistake on Wurmple's evolution stating that it depends on the time of day. Wurmple's evolution to Silcoon or Cascoon is entirely random.

The best feature of all is the Pokemon Contest, to which the book dedicates its own section. A bit of the information is a little confusing, but carefully read will give you all you need to know, including what berries to mix to make the best pokeblocks and their effects when used. They included the battle moves and contest moves, even the contest move combos! The item list is as complete as anyone could ever want. Overall, this book provides a good balance of information to beat the game without revealing too much. I still would have liked to see the trainer data but Prima's guide will deeply satisfy most players wanting to get the most out of the game. You'll be glad you bought this book!

Features

• Box set

Reviews (2)

An astounding value!
This is an excellent compilation of Hawkins' work between 1939 and 1949. Most of the selections date from 1943 to 1947 and were recorded for several record labels, including Victor, Bluebird, Okeh, Brunswick, V-Disc, Commodore, Signature, Keynote, Apollo, Savoy, Clef, Regis, Capitol, Aladdin, Joe Davis, and Selmer. Sidemen include Roy Eldridge, Benny Carter, Cootie Williams, Count Basie, Art Tatum, Oscar Pettiford, Teddy Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie, Budd Johnson, Ben Webster, Earl Hines, Don Byas, John Kirby, Jonah Jones, Buck Clayton, Thelonious Monk, Howard McGhee, Milt Jackson, Hank Jones, Harry Carney and Miles Davis. As you would expect with such a wide variety of source material, the sound quality varies a bit. However, it ranges from good to excellent and in most cases is on par (or identical:)) with the best previous CD issues of the same music. The set comes with a 56 page booklet that includes a lengthy essay with analysis of each session, several photographs, and a very thorough discography (you can read the complete essay and discography at Proper's website). The essay is good, though it could have used some editing. Also, the photos look like they were duplicated from printed sources. The most important thing, however, is that the music is consistently excellent. These discs show Hawkins at his absolute best, whether in a small group, big band, or solo. For the price the set is an astounding value!

Prime Forties Recordings From a Tenor Sax Legend
This is a magnificent collection of the Forties work of tenor sax great Coleman Hawkins, the father of the jazz saxophone. Much of it has been previously released in bits and pieces, but it has never been collected in a single package, and never with such tremendous sound. The set also includes an informative booklet with a number of rarely-scene photographs.

Hawkins began his performing career as a teenager, backing blues singer Mamie Smith in the early 1920's. Before Hawkins, the saxophone was not a major instrument in jazz, and it was seldom featured as a solo instrument. When Hawkins joined Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra in 1924, that began to change. Perhaps inspired by fellow bandmember Louis Armstrong, who spent about a year with Henderson, Hawkins quickly developed his own distinctive style as a soloist. When Armstrong left, Coleman Hawkins became the dominant soloist with the Henderson band, a position he held until 1934. He set the standard for the jazz saxophonist during the first part of the Swing era, and he strongly influenced such other figures as Ben Webster, Benny Carter, Chu Berry and many others. After a productive five-year stay in Europe, Hawkins returned to the U.S. and started his own group in 1939. One of his first records was the ballad "Body and Soul," which became a major pop hit and remains one of the most memorable recordings in jazz history. It set a standard for jazz improvisation that has seldom been matched.

"Body and Soul" first song in this boxed set, and really doesn't belong with the other recordings here, which cover the period 1943-1947. Hawkins' big band failed within a year, and he soon began working with the smaller groups that make up the bulk of these recordings. He worked for a series of small New York-based record companies, both as a leader and a sideman. During this period, the bebop movement began to make inroads into the New York jazz scene. Hawkins was as skilled and schooled as any musician in jazz, and he quickly grasped the innovative ideas that the beboppers were offering in their music. Even though he never fully embraced bebop in his own playing, he often worked with its rising young stars, such as Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Howard McGhee, Fats Navarro and others. Working with these new talents reinvigorated the middle-aged Hawkins, and these are some of the finest recordings of his long career. He also influenced a new generation of saxophonists such as Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins.

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Widescreen
• Dolby

Reviews (157)

"Most things in here don't react well to bullets..."
Now this is a movie worth watching. "The Hunt for Red October" has such a superb casting with actors Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, James Earl Jones, Richard Jordan, Joss Ackland, and more.

Under the command of Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery), a technologically superior Soviet nuclear sub, the "Red October", is heading for the U.S. coast. When the American government hears this, they immediately jump to the conclusion that the Russians are planning to attack the United States. But then strangely enough, they find out that the entire Russian naval and air commands are trying to find the "Red October": there orders, to sink the submarine! The Americans are told that they think that Ramius is mad and that he's going to shoot nuclear missiles into America so of course, the American government agrees to help the Soviet hunt the "Red October" to stop him. But a lone CIA analyst, Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin), has a different idea that he thinks that Ramius is planning to defect but he has only a little time to be able to prove it with the reluctant help of Cammander Bart Mancuso (Scott Glenn). The hunt is on!!

On my list of favorite movies ever, "The Hunt for Red October" measures up to such submarine movies such as "Run Silent, Run Deep" with Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster and "U-571" with Matthew McConaughey. This movie is based on Tom Clancy's bestseller and you have to admit, he was a genius in writing this story.

I love the acting done by not only Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin, but also of Sam Neill as Vasily Borodin, Scott Glenn as the Commander, and naturally James Earl Jones as Admiral James Greer. My favorite parts are probably the very last 40 minutes (of which I won't tell what happens because I don't want to give anything away to anyone who hasn't watched this movie yet) and the parts where National Security Advisotor Jeffrey Pelt (Richard Jordan) and Amabassador Andrei Lysenko (Joss Ackland) and talkint to each other. And the whole movie has very subtle humor which I like.

Watch "The Hunt for Red October" and if you like it, I also recommend other submarine movies such as "Run Silent, Run Deep" and "U-571".

A suspenseful and nail biting movie
Russian Submarine Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) has command of the Soviet navy's newest sub, the Red October, named for the 1917 Bolshevik revolution. The Red October is the newest of the Typhoon class missile subs. She is, however different; being larger and having a new drive system. Ramius sends a letter to Moscow before he leaves. All that is known by C.I.A is that the Russian navy immediately sent orders to sink Red October. It is thus believed that Ramius intends to attack the U.S. C.I.A analyst Jack Ryan (Played wonderfully by Alec Baldwin) believes Ramius wants to defect. He has just three days to prove it. Various problems stand in the way however, from a sub captain whom wants to get Ramius first to an attempt at sabotage. Will Ryan get to Ramius before the Russians and the Americans?

The acting is top notch, from Connery and Baldwin's performances to James Earl Jones as Admiral Greer and Sam Neill as a Red October officer. A great film for people who like suspense films or for James Bond fans. Sort of a thinking man's James Bond that will keep you riveted to the very end.

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (7)

Very entertaining, but too short
I enjoy watching the Real World Las Vegas on MTV, so I was looking forward to viewing this DVD.

This DVD is very entertaining, and you can tell the cast gets along well. However, I was disappointed because the DVD is too short. The main DVD is less than 60 minutes long. There are a few extras that are short and not that entertaining.

MTV records the cast 24/7 for several months, so you'd think there would be more footage to share on this DVD. Not so.

*the real world not much more else to see*
I am a real world freak and I've seen every episode of every season! So I also have every "real world you've never seen" video. This Vegas one was Ok, I personally expected to be blown away, but not much was shown in the video. Don't get me wrong a recommen every hard core RW fan to see it, however if you're not to crazy about the show then don't bother with this video. If you want to really funny behind the scences footage of the RW then buy the New Orleans one for sure!! I laughed the entire time, it was REALLY GOOD!!

Editorial Review

With the Canon PowerShot S230, you've got the best of both worlds--the compact size and high style of the digital Elph series plus the higher resolution of a 3-megapixel camera. Updating the popular 2-megapixel PowerShot S200, the PowerShot S230 also features a 2x optical zoom, an improved 3.2x digital zoom, movie mode for videos up to 3 minutes, and more--all in a stylish, compact package.

Optics and Resolution

S230's nine-point autofocus lets you sharpen the image on your subject, no matter where it is in the frame.

Featuring a 3.2-megapixel CCD sensor, the PowerShot S230 delivers a wide range of detail and color (with images up to 2048 x 1536 pixels) and prints up to 11 by 14 inches. Canon's high-quality 2x optical zoom lens allows you to close in on the action, while the 3.2x digital zoom allows for a combined 6.4x zoom, letting you capture intimate details that might have been missed with another camera. The PowerShot S230 is also one of the few digital cameras to feature wide-area nine-point autofocus for taking crisp, sharp images no matter where the subject appears in the image frame.

Storage and Transfer
Images are stored on CompactFlash memory cards, and a 16 MB card is included. When shooting images at the medium or fine setting, the 16 MB card will store approximately 26 images. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB storage-class connectivity, which means it can be connected to any USB-based Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.

Movie Mode
In addition to taking still photos, the S230 can also record movie clips of up to 3 minutes. You can choose from three different video formats: 160 x 120, 320 x 240, or 640 x 480 pixels. Both picture and sound quality have been improved, and an editing feature allows you to delete unwanted scenes during playback. The S230's photo-effect mode lets you do more with your still images. Choose from low sharpening, vivid color, sepia, neutral, and black and white.

More Features
Though it's primarily designed as a point-and-shoot, the S230 includes several advanced features for photographers who want more creative control, including exposure compensation, low-light manual shutter speeds, manual ISO and white balance, and stitch assist, plus black-and-white, sepia, vivid, and neutral modes.

The PowerShot S230 uses highly advanced technology to make your digital photography experience simple. DIGIC enhances image definition and processing speed, while the sophisticated iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology assures faster and more accurate autofocus, autoexposure, and automatic white balance. The intelligent-orientation sensor ensures your pictures are always right side up, on the LCD or even while downloading.

Horizontal	Vertical
S230's Intelligent Orientation Sensor knows which of your images were shot horizontally and which were shot vertically.

Editorial Review

Blazing forth with its huge screen, high style, and bountiful high-tech features, Toshiba's 51H83 TheaterWide HDTV projection monitor is set to render vivid, smooth, and detailed video signals from DVD players, digital TV set-top boxes, digital satellite systems, cable television boxes--you name it. The set's TruView feature combines several enhancements (black level expansion, fine white, flesh tone correction, and color detail enhancer) to automatically display accurate picture and color details. Also automated, HD Dynamic Contrast continually analyzes picture information and sharpens and deepens those parts of the picture with the most detailed information.

And since not everything you watch will be high-definition in origin (wouldn't that be nice), CrystalScan HDSC upconverts all video signals (including 480i/p) to 1080i HD. This significantly reduces jagged-line artifacts for a smoother, more natural image. (Selectable 540p, for those who want a progressive-scan image from a progressive-scan source, is available through the onscreen menu.) CableClear DNR+ Digital Noise Reduction circuitry optimizes poor NTSC signals from antenna or cable by eliminating video noise (snow).

Meanwhile, DFine high-speed velocity-scan modulation improves the definition at picture edges, creating sharper images by slowing the CRT (cathode-ray tube) beam's horizontal scanning during demanding work--say, when rendering transitions from light to dark parts of an image--and speeding it up when scanning easily rendered sections, like broad dark areas.

A 3D Y/C (4 MB, 10-bit) digital comb filter with Vertical Contour Correction processes RF and composite-video signals for a sharp, clean picture. This advanced filter significantly reduces detail noise, seen as shimmering or flicker, in complex or intricate scenes. The TouchFocus digital convergence system creates perfect corner-to-corner focus at the press of a button.

Cinema Mode (3:2 pulldown) circuitry identifies film-based content from DVDs and reassembles the frame sequence to more accurately reproduce a movie's original 24-frame rate. This process eliminates artifacts and gives you sharp, accurate full-frame progressive images.

Finally, the set's TheaterFine HD super fine-pitch screen uses a 0.52 mm design to reduce the space between lines on the lenticular screen, thereby sharpening the image. With convenient direct video input selection, you can choose specific inputs right from the remote's numbered keypad--no more scrolling through all the inputs to find the one you want.

The 51H83 is loaded with connections of all stripes, including a DVI HDTV input, which gives you a pure, uncompressed video connection with your DTV receiver or set-top box (not included).

For audio, the 20-watts-per-channel 51H83 offers SRS WOW, combining SRS 3D (which creates a wide three-dimensional sound field), TruBass (which boosts bass frequency perception for dramatic low-frequency effects), and Focus (which raises the perceived sound image vertically to clarify voices) to greatly enhance your home-theater sound. StableSound maintains television volume within a preset range regardless of the source signal, and Toshiba's Sub Bass System (SBS) boosts a program's low-end audio for heightened dramatic impact.

The supplied illuminated universal remote also controls most manufacturers' VCRs and DVD players.

Features

• Portable charger plugs into lighter outlet
• Powers battery while on the go
• Charges battery when phone is not in use
• Quick, simple installation
• For use with Motorola 120c and V60c phones

Reviews (18)

OEM for $8.99?!? I had to do a triple take
First of all, I'd like to say I'm frustrated--I paid full price for mine. Hence, when I saw the price, I had to do a triple take to make sure I wasn't looking at a generic version.

If you're getting a car charger, make sure to get a Motorola OEM version. I talked to a couple people at Nextel and they said the generic ones are dangerous. Quoting the Cincinnati phone tech, "I've seen hundred's and hundreds of phones fried from the generic chargers. The fuses are screwy and the wrong voltage hits your phones. I even saw a lady stick her phone between the seats of her Caddy using a generic one and it caught the seats on fire and melted the phone."

Another tidbit I learned from the tech. Only charge your battery in the car when it's down to 1 bar. Try not to make a habit of throwing it on the charger every second you're in the car. The specs on the Lithium Ion batteries from Motorola are about 500 recharges. Then the charge it holds starts declining. When you charge your phone powered off, it uses 1 recharge that night. When you charge it powered on, it scrolls through the charge cycles and shortens the life of your battery.

Best of all, Nextel warranties this charger. Take it in if you do something stupid and break it--they'll give you another one no questions asked.

Lastly, the cigarette lighter OEM is a 'rapid charger' using DC current. It will charge your phone from completely dead to full charge in 45 minutes if you have the phone turned off. Just thought you'd like to know.

Great Accessory, But...
The charger is great. Better than any third party accessory I've ever used. My only complaint is that each of the Motorola phones I've had experienced problems charging. Not just with this accessory, but with every charger I've ever used, including the one that came with the phone. I recently purchased a Moto T730 thinking that the problems I've had in the past were because of the cheaper model phones I was using (ie. the Moto V120e), however my shiny new T730 has already started having the same problems (Not recognizing the charger, "unable to charge" errors, etc...) If you have a Motorola phone, I highly recommend this product. If you're shopping around for a new phone and accessories, you might want to consider Samsung. I hear their new product line is great!

Features

• A sleek Pocket PC with the optimal combination of features, performance, and expandability
• Compact Flash and Secure Digital slots for flexibility and convenience in storage and expansion
• Integrated Bluetooth for wireless communication with other Bluetooth devices
• Removable/rechargeable Lithium-lon battery for on the go power
• What's in the box: HP iPAQ Pocket PC, USB Desktop cradle/charger, AC Adapter, Slip case, battery, getting started poster; charger adapter; HP iPAQ Pocket PC Companion CD

Reviews (65)

Upgradeable, and versatile.
I purchased the Ipaq 2215 in October for around $300 and I've been using it everyday. On top of the organizer, it has so many other features that I have been utilizing like mp3 player, avantGo for news, address book, bluetooth, alarm, picture viewer, Nevo remote control, scientific calculator, reading ms documents and text files. You can even update your livejournal using avantGo but I haven't used it that much. With a compact flash, and sd card slot you can always upgrade your memory, add wireless, or a camera.

When I was searching for a PDA, I wanted one with an abundance of features and this little gadget has exceeded my expectations. It makes my train commute go by fast because I can read the news and listen to music. I bought it right before the 4000 series came out and I was going to wait for that one but I couldn't wait a few weeks. So far, I haven't regretted my decision. I think it's best if you find the one PDA that suites your needs instead of waiting for the 'next great thing' because if you wait, then you'll keep putting it off.

p.s. Back then, I did take a look at the Dell's Axim, Sharp's Zaurus, and Sony's Clie but the Ipaq 2210's seemed to be the most versatile.

The PocketPC Device everyone should get!!!
FINALLY!!! A PocketPC that is a *dream* come true! Yes the wait is over, stop reading this review and click on the 'Add to Cart' button and just buy this PocketPC!! Ok, I'm getting ahead of myself... You may want to know why you should get it, right??

1 - It's small and lightweight for a device that supports both Compact Flash (CF) and Secure Digital (SD) formats. It's about the same height and width of the iPAQ 1900 series, but just a tad bit thicker and heavier. *BUT* not by that much!

2 - With both CF and SD, you can mix and match wireless/memory options. If you already have a wireless CF card, then use the SD for memory or vice-versa.

3 - SDIO - You can use 802.11b SD cards when they're out or any other SDIO cards (as long as there's PPC2K3 support.)

4 - Removable batteries!! Yippie!! If your battery dies, you can have just pop in another one. And they're Lithium Ion so no worries regarding memory effects. You can charge an extra battery in the cradle while your device recharges!

5 - Gorgeous screen that can be seen on all iPAQs! Bright and colorful.

6 - Really nice joystick like directional button. I've owned the first iPAQ and a Cassiopeia (as well as played demo versions of other PPCs) but I believe this is the best directional button there is.

7 - Built-in Bluetooth! With PPC2K3, it's much easier to make partnerships with other bluetooth device! Just connect your iPAQ to your cellphone and surf the web! I've made it sync with my computer and my Sony Ericsson T610 with no hitches.

8 - It's fast, and much more stable than the previous PPCs. And I've used them all from WinCE -> PPC -> PPC2002. This is the most stable PPC OS so far, and the fastest. I can watch a 300kbps stream on my PPC Windows Media Player (WMP).

9 - OS hasn't changed much from PPC2002, but the small changes that are there really makes a difference. As I mentioned in point no. 8, there is WMP. And better connectivity (as I mentioned in point no. 7) with built-in Bluetooth. Pocket Internet Explorer (pIE) is speedy. I use my 2210 and T610 to connect to the web wireless via GPRS and surf the web on pIE. It's great! Now that's true wireless. Not as speedy as WiFi, but I can use it just about anywhere I get a phone signal!

I've been using this device for over a month now (it's now August 4) and I still love it. So go ahead now! Buy it from Amazon! You'll love it! I've had no problems with the rubber grips and they make the iPAQ fit well in your hands! The price is great too!

Reviews (26)

This Game Rocks!!!
Ever Since I first played Devil May Cry I was hooked on the beautiful gothic setting & excellent gameplay and this game is very similar to DMC, the graphics are astounding, the gameplay flows smoothly and the storyline is very interesting, and the music just plain rocks!

The fact of being able to summon legions to fight with you is what sets this game apart, as you aquire new crests you get to add new legions each with their unique abilities.

At times you feel like you're in Starship Troopers, overwhelmed by hordes of monsters, and that's when your legions come into play.

This is definitely one of the best games to come out in awhile, especially after the big dissapointing Tomb Raider joke of a game...
I agree with the other reviewer, this game deserves 10 stars!

I loved, but it takes a while too
This has got to be one of the worse games for mixed reviews. Some love this game, some despise it. Now what's our thoughts on this gothic, hack and slash? Well, I can say for myself, that I love ever bit of this game. Before you hit me with something, let me explain why this game is so awesome.

The story is mysterious, enthralling, deep, and it keeps you wanting more. That is, after the first couple of levels it gets interesting. The first three levels you will find boring, but don't stop playing, because trust me, it will get better.

The story goes like this: You play as Seig Warheit, who must fight against a past friend of his. The reason being? It's unknown until you delve deeper in the game and unlock the peices of the story. But I will tell you this, it involves the killing of a beautiful woman named Siela.

The graphics are simply stunning. Screenshots cannot capture the beauty this game holds. The graphics are bright, gritty, vivid, and smooth all that the same time. The characters, legions, and enemies are all awesomely designed. The main character, Sieg, he is designed perfectly, his clothing and hair just screams "Bad Boy". The design and graphics team have certianly outdone themselves.

The sound was great, the clashing of swords on the armored hide of the enemies was music to my ears. The screams of the enemy creatures was great as well, whatever a 4 foot spider would sound like dying is probably what the spiders in Chaos Legion would sound like dying. The only gripe I have is when you first start a level, Seig, takes his sword and taps it on his shoulder... But it sounds like he is taking a wooden stick and slapping it on a towel...

The music was perfect, it totally fit the mood of the fights and the tear jerking movies. The only thing I disliked about the music is that in some parts it was low, like I couldn't hear it over me beating my enemies to ground beef. That's not neccessarily a bad thing though.

In Chaos Legion, you use allies to fight along side of you. These allies are called "Legions," the legions are powerful creatures. They each have there strongpoints and their weakpoints. So when you first equip a legion, try equiping one that will work best for the mission. This aspect mixes the generic hack and slash genre to a RPG-type action game, making it much more appealing and far less repetive.

After completeing a mission and defeating numerous enemies, you gain experience points. With these experience points you can upgrade your legions in many, many aspects. For instance you can upgrade their strength, defense, or you can upgrade them to where more legions can come out and help you.

The gameplay seems shallow at first, but once you get passed the first three levels, it becomes addictive. The thing that makes it unappealing to most is the steep difficulty level. But when you pass those three levels, you gain enough experience to upgrade your legions too make them stronger. Once upgraded, it makes the game much more enjoyable.

This game is the perfect game for an action addict, like myself. I totally enjoyed it to the last minute. I enjoyed it so much, that I cannot wait for the next installment to the series. I reccoment this to anyone who is looking for a challenge and a new adventure. If you are still skeptical about buying Chaos Legion, atleast rent it to see if you like it.

Hit
+Addictive
+Beautiful story
+Breath taking graphics
+Deep Gameplay, believe it or not
+Great difficulty level
+Character, Legion, and Enemy designs are awesome
+Sieg is just a plain awesome character!

Miss
_Difficulty is hard for the weak
_Takes a while to really get sucked into it
_Some gamers will get tired of it before actually playing through a good bit of it

Editorial Review

For intermediate digital image enthusiasts who don't need Adobe Photoshop, Adobe's barer-bones Photoshop Elements 2.0 works atop the same engine and provides many of the same tools for a fraction of the price.

Elements' interface is less complex then Photoshop, packaging oft-used quick correction tools in easy-to-access locations. The program gears itself toward the novice user looking to learn more about digital image modification and enhancement. You can also enter keywords into a search field and Elements will offer up related walkthroughs and instructions.

Elements can input images from a variety of sources, including scanners and digital cameras. It's more powerful than the average program bundled with any of these devices, so you can make it your default image editor for either or both. Stills can also be snagged from a variety of video formats, including QuickTime, MPEG, AVI, and Windows Media. Before opening images, you can browse through their thumbnails, which include a preview of the image as well as its size and type.

Inputted images can be enhanced, distorted, corrected, or combined into panoramas through the PhotoMerge stitching tool. The new Selection Brush lets users simply paint over an item they would like to cut or copy. While it still takes a steady hand to select non-straight edges, it's easier than using the standard selection tools such as the rectangular marquee or the lasso. Elements works well as a file manager as well, its new batch processing feature allowing users to make changes to several images at once.

Output options are also expansive, including attaching photos to e-mail messages, printing images, or saving them in a smaller Web format and then uploading them to the Internet. Beyond these typical tools, Elements users can create image slideshows in PDF format that can be viewed on PDAs as well as other PCs.

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Features

• Perfect for working and weeding raised beds
• Powerful 12-amp electric motor means quieter, cleaner operations
• More output torque than comparable gas mini-tillers
• Quick flip wheels for easy transportation and storage
• Cultivates gardens, landscaping and flowerbeds

Reviews (3)

Great tiller - with proper understanding
A note of caution on the tiller: it has two components which I've discovered I don't like. The first is a plastic sprocket gear that transfers power from the motor to the driveline and tines. Guess what happens when the little Garden Wizard gets tangled up in a tree root... yes, it completely strips the teeth out of the plastic gear. (Here you can correctly assume it's very cheap to mold a plastic gear instead of machine a metal one.) Second, the thing that's supposed to help eliminate the gear stripping problem is that Remington has a built-in circuit breaker right on the trigger housing. "How convenient", one might think at first, except that the breaker is made in Indonesia under questionable quality control and that the breaker is only rated at 7 amps. The tiller has a 12 amp motor. Why bother advertising that it has such a great feature like a 12 amp motor when the ciruit breaker shuts it off at less than a 60% load?

If you plan to use this product in already tilled and established planting beds, I would say that it's not a bad machine and you'll probably never have a problem with it. If you are trying to break established sod - be forewarned that tree roots or rocks will most likely cause you an instant breakdown.

It sure beats doing it by hand!
I've wanted a garden tiller for years but didn't want to get into storing gas etc. (my lawnmower is electric). I saw this and was sold. It's pretty light so it bounces off hard soil but it's easy to move around the yard. I haven't used the wheels because the handle is so convenient. Using it is like reeling in a large fish. You let it till forward, then pull it back and run over the same area until you reach the desired depth. Tilt left or right to change direction. Removing the tines to remove weeds or clean is easy with the cotter pins. I did break a tine on some stony soil. Oh well. I'd buy it again if I had to do it over.

My first Garden Tiller
I am a garden enthusiast; The big-noisy gas-tiller my neighbor uses kinda scared me off. I've been trying to make a vegetable garden in a less used area of my yard. I discovered the soil to be too hard and clayey and wet. Soil conditions are a gardner's nightmare ! I've been looking for an electric tiller for some years. I found this one in home depot display, when I asked, there was no stock available that day. Then I went back to get it couple of days later, to my amazement I found there was only ONE left !

It has been useful in tilling, easy to handle, I like the easy stop/start mechanism - as with all electric tools, instead of having to leave the engine on all the time. This makes less noise and is smoke-free !

I guess the tilling depth is about 8 inches - this is NOT specified in the manual.

Editorial Review

The "GQ look" is synonymous with classic cool and sophistication, and despite a recent outburst of trendy magazines (think Maxim and FHM) vying for the attention of young professional males, the steeped-in-tradition monthly GQ carries on without missing a beat. Yes, there's more décolletage gracing the cover than there used to be, but GQ continues to supply enough cultural commentary, celebrity profiles, features, and style guides to keep the modern man in touch with what's going on in the world from month to month.

Reviews (2)

Marriage of Book and Exhibit
Richard Avedon wears several hats. As an artist creating innovative commercial images; He is behind the most dynamic magazine pages of the day,... He is witness of the greatest generation to social and political fact; He tells stories of icons and common men. He places them alike: actors, writers, poets, politicians and artists. The poet who recites through his lens.
Published to accompany a major Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition, Richard Avedon Portraits celebrates His lifetime of achievements and almost does justice to the work.