Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/themoneysit08-20
Matthew M. Held reviewed:
Cobra Nav One 4500 Mobile GPS Navigation System with Traffic
| 53 of 60 people found the following review helpful:  Excellent, but pricey., October 31, 2005 Upon browsing GPS at Fry's Electronics, this unit stood out among the rest as being superior. I figured out the operation of the unit within minutes. If you select an option and do nothing, a pleasant female voice instructs you at to the options and purpose of the current screen. I have yet to read the instruction booklet. And the maps preloaded into its hard-drive are quite accurate - indicating obscure back-roads. The suction-cup mount has broken loose several times, which is not what you want to happen to a unit this expensive! I have decided to purchase an additional mount for my vacation vehicle and permanantly affix them to the dashes of both vehicles. Yes, I spent $1000 on a GPS reciever - but my other alternative was to spend $3700 on in-dash radio/GPS/DVD recievers for both vehicles. The only reason I spent this kind of money is because is really is for business purposes and I need the tax deduction! Overall - I recommend this unit to anyone willing/stupid/needfull enough to spend this kind of money on what I consider to be the best unit on the market. |
| October 31, 2005 |
Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/themoneysit08-20
Jeff Wiley reviewed:
Audition (Uncut Special Edition)
| 4 of 5 people found the following review helpful: NOT for the weak-stomached, or faint of heart!, October 30, 2005 I enjoy intelligent horror movies. I don't enjoy gore for gore's sake, or the formulaic malfunctioning car at the inopportune moment, or the naked girl running without explanation through a dark forest, etc. If you are of a similar mindset, this is a movie for you. It's disturbing, it's terrifying, and it builds up to a climax that will gray the hair on your head with fear. The story is a simple concept, portrayed by complex characters. Maybe the best thing I can say about this movie is that it has spurred my interest in other Japanese horror films. As I understand, this movie might be the measuring stick for their brand of horror. However, until American moviemakers stop cranking out the standard, cookie-cutter horror movies, tired remakes of older, better movies, or Americanizing previously released Japanese horror films, I'll turn to the Far East to get my fright fix. |
| October 30, 2005 |
Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/themoneysit08-20
C. W. Fitch reviewed:
Kicking and Screaming
| 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:  There's a lesson here somewhere...maybe..., October 20, 2005 Here's the gist: Saturday Night Live alum Will Ferrell stars as Phil Weston, a middle-aged vitamin salesman who reluctantly agrees to coach his son's soccer team when the original coach goes missing. While at first merely a good deed for the day, the gesture soon presents an opportunity to finally one-up his disturbingly overcompetitive dad, Buck (Robert Duvall), who coaches a rival team. With the help of Buck's neighbor Mike Ditka (yes, you read that right), a pair of Italian juvenile ringers, and several gallons of coffee (you'll just have to see for yourself how that makes sense), Watson's Tigers make it to the championship game, where they showdown with Buck's Gladiators. Like "Bad News Bears", soccer moms and dads looking for a moral to this story will be disappointed. If anything, though, "Screaming" does okay as a jab to the whole youth soccer phenomenon. Emotionally, the film's like Space Mountain; you'll chuckle, your eyes will widen in disbelief, you'll shake your head, and you'll be thankful the whole thing wasn't longer, all in a span of 90 or so minutes. Phil's java-induced transformation from oversensitive parent to psychobabbling, child-scaring tyrant provides for most if not all of the aforementioned reactions; it's cute at first, but as the movie progresses, it just gets old. It does have its share of funny, though; the tetherball game between Phil and his dad is particularly snort-worthy, as are Ditka's interactions with just about everyone in the cast. The comedy is offset a little by a couple of out-of-place quirks; most notably the whole thing with Buck's other son. That little attempted plot twist could've added more to the story, but only serves to add a pinch of unnecessary weird. The cast is supported rather nicely by a menagerie of sketch comedy veterans: Dave Herman (Mad TV, Office Space) plays a folically-challenged, stressed-out referee; Laura Kightlinger and Rachel Harris (The Daily Show, I Love the 80s) complement each other as a lesbian couple whose adopted Asian son plays for Phil's team; and Alex Borstein (Mad TV's "Ms. Swan") turns in a cameo with her black Hummer (in a darned funny, fist-raising moment for SUV owners everywhere). All told, this comedy doesn't score a goal for the genre, but it does ring off the figurative crossbar. Will Ferrell indeed proves his genius once again; while not his best or most hilarious performance, it is still gold, and lifts the film above average in a few places. If you're a big fan of Ferrell (or Ditka, for that matter), you'll welcome this into your collection. Otherwise, by movie's end you may find yourself wondering why you clicked it into your shopping cart. Bonus features include some great outtakes (mostly with Mike Ditka...what a ham), a few deleted scenes, and a "making-of" featurette. |
| October 20, 2005 |
Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/themoneysit08-20
C. W. Fitch reviewed:
The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior
| 3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:  Fair, funny, and full of Destrucity., October 20, 2005 Be warned at first that this is not a biography of Warrior (which is Hellwig's current legal name) as such; it starts out just like the Undertaker's latest DVD epic, with his debut and first matches in the southern wrestling circuits. There is no background offered on Warrior; there's nothing about how he broke into the business or his occupations previous to wrestling, which seems to be the standard WWE is offering nowadays. It makes sense, actually; superstars like the Undertaker and the Ultimate Warrior's most popular traits were that they were shrouded in mystery. That theme is held intact in this DVD. The scope of time covered here goes through the Warrior's complete career, from his first incarnation as Blade Runner Rock to his final appearance in (and disappearance from) WCW. WWE will claim to this day that the Warrior was a great concept at first, but as legends like Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Gene Okerlund, Hulk Hogan, and other wrestlers who regularly worked with him tell the tale, it was actually the man, not the character, who self-destructed and caused so many problems for WWE and WCW. Current WWE superstars such as Chris Jericho, Edge, and Christian also add their reflections on watching the Warrior on the tube in their younger days and what effects he had on them. They also poke a little fun at the Warrior's cryptic interviews and the downright ridiculous storylines in which he was involved. From the Wrestlemania X8 DVD, though, we know that seeing Warrior vs. Hogan at Wrestlemania VI as a kid was what made Edge finally decide that he was going to be a wrestler, so at least Warrior made a difference in someone's life. By the end of the documentary, the truth (according to WWE) is revealed as to how the Warrior was so successful. For the most part, I was pleased with how the story of the Warrior and his "downfall" was presented, and thought that those interviewed were both honest and sincere about their opinions. Parts of the doc brought back memories of the Warrior's most...well, memorable...moments, and brought a few laughs as well. I found myself wondering why I was so into the Warrior as a kid, but I know I wasn't alone. The documentary is just over 1 ½ hours long, and is just informative enough without getting boring at all. Extra features on the disc include additional short interviews with Jerry "The King" Lawler and Ted DiBiase, Christian hilariously reenacting of one of Warrior's most disturbing promos, and 5 full matches (two of which are less than a minute long-what a surprise), including Hogan/ Warrior from Wrestlemania VI and the Retirement Match vs. "Macho King" Randy Savage, both classics. Warrior fans will probably dig this DVD, and if you're an old-school wrestling fan like me who pines after the days when colorful characters were more important than shock TV, you'll relive some good stuff here. |
| October 20, 2005 |
Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/themoneysit08-20
C. W. Fitch reviewed:
Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 5: The Cost of Living (Episodes 17-20)
| 7 of 7 people found the following review helpful: Fullmetal gets deeper, and even better., October 20, 2005 In Vol. 5, Ed and Alphonse Elric pay a visit to their old hometown for repairs after their first battle with Scar. The aptly named Major Armstrong, appointed to watch over the brothers, accompanies them home. After a rather unemotional reunion with their childhood friend Winry and her grandma and a visit to their mother's grave, the Elrics get put back together again and head for Central to seek more information about creating a genuine Philosopher's Stone. What they discover there may change their course of action and their whole motivation for creating it. Meanwhile, as Scar resumes his search for the Elrics, he encounters the Homunculi Lust and Gluttony and barely escapes with his life. The military is also looking for Scar to bring him to justice for the murders he's committed. During their detective work, Ed and Al come across a pair of assassins who seemingly have close ties to the brothers, and make a few new discoveries about themselves as they engage in fierce battle. Confused yet? Well, if you're here, I certainly hope you are at least familiar with the story leading up to this volume. "Fullmetal Alchemist" is well into its second season with this chapter (Episodes 17-20), and it is moving along at such an intriguing pace that I find myself marking Vol. 6's release date on my calendar. This is one anime series that pulls no punches emotionally, and reaches its audience by one shocking plot device and/or twist after another. The series, set in an unrevealed time period but teeming with technology and magic (in this case, two great tastes that go great together), does a wonderful job of grabbing hold of the viewer and keeping them locked in to every detail, character, and story element. As the series progresses, you'll actually identify with Edward and Alphonse and their terrible plight. You'll watch them grow and mature, and even feel for them as they come closer and get further away from the goal of their quest with each episode. The entire supporting cast is chock full of memorable characters as well, especially the other State Alchemists (my personal fave being Alex Luis Armstrong at the moment). At certain times, mostly during the beginning of the series, slapstick elements and humor even inject themselves beautifully into the mix. At this point in the series, though, the story's taken a very serious turn, although every once in a while a poke at Ed's height (which happens at least once an episode) or Alchemist Hughes showing off pictures of his infant daughter breaks up the somberness. Talk about a series that's got it all together. Whether you're a fan of sci-fi or fantasy anime (or both), or you just want to watch a deep, intriguing story with incredible and memorable characters, this is the one. The dubbing, usually one of the most critiqued elements in anime, is absolutely excellent: Al's and Ed's English voices, especially, capture their every emotion with expert precision. I can't imagine the difficulty in voice-acting a 10-year-old boy without a body whose soul is trapped in a case of armor, but darn it, it's nailed here. Top it all off with a rawking opening theme from J-pop legends L'arc-en-Ciel ("Ready, Steady, Go"), and you've got a winner for the ages. The only minor aggravation I found with this volume, though, was in the way the DVD is set up: FUNimation forces you to watch a 2 ½ minute preview of the latest volume of (the albeit slick-looking) "Samurai 7" and a small blurb for another series before the menu even comes up. (I've seen this on other discs before; don't know if this is a flaw, but if every copy's like that, it should be an extra on the disc rather than shoved down our collective throats at the beginning.) Do not miss this series; if you haven't seen it up to now, back up and look for Vol. 1 this instant! You won't regret it. |
| October 20, 2005 |
Posted by CNET Reviews - Most Recent PDAs
http://reviews.cnet.com/Handhelds/2001-3127_7-0.html?subj=fdba&part=rss&tag=MR_PDAs
| October 19, 2005 |
Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/themoneysit08-20
Jeff Wiley reviewed:
Contact
| 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful: An incredible, if not overlooked, film., October 17, 2005 `Contact' is a fresh story, and is particularly great for those who enjoy their sci-fi light : science fiction movies that don't require laser guns and spaceships, etc. Its subject is thought provoking, its characters are memorable and well portrayed, and its overall presentation is top-notch. The events following the signal's detection are spot on, as director Robert Zemeckis captures brilliantly the reaction and events that would most likely follow an event of this magnitude. I view what he presents not as a swipe at humanity, but as a snapshot of its current state. Religious zealots to scam artists to a media feeding frenzy are presented here, not to mention rather accurately and believably. The political, religious, social, and moral fallout of such an event are also presented here extremely well. The movie's climax (Ellie's final destination) is not only satisfying, but also intentionally ambiguous, forcing the viewer to think about what they have just seen, and where she might actually have been. For the sake of anyone who hasn't seen it, I'm being as vague as possible, so as not to ruin anything. It's probably redundant to say that Jodie Foster was fantastic, but I'll say it anyway. She is in a category by herself, in terms of acting talent, and she is supported by a great cast featuring Tom Skerritt, Matthew McConaughey, David Morse (a terrific actor in his own right), Angela Bassett, John Hurt, and James Woods, among others. Also featured are many well-known media figures who had cameos in the movie, adding a level of authenticity to the film. `Contact' definitely deserved more attention at Oscar time the year it was released, and why it didn't receive more, I can't say. Suffice it to say that this is a movie that, no matter what you believe spiritually, has the ability to either force you to question that belief, or it will re-enforce your beliefs stronger than ever. |
| October 17, 2005 |
Posted by CNET Reviews - Most Recent PDAs
http://reviews.cnet.com/Handhelds/2001-3127_7-0.html?subj=fdba&part=rss&tag=MR_PDAs
| October 11, 2005 |
Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/themoneysit08-20
Busy Bee reviewed:
Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Complete Guide to Understanding Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and Other ASDs
| 12 of 13 people found the following review helpful: Useful and concise guide..., October 8, 2005 It is a good source of information and has lots of resources from books to websites to associations... What I really liked was that it has a whole chapter about parents dealing with this diagnosis. This book is for the whole family, not just about the autistic person alone... If you're lost and confused and don't know where to start, this is the right place to do so ! |
| October 8, 2005 |
Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/themoneysit08-20
Busy Bee reviewed:
Thinking In Pictures: and Other Reports from My Life with Autism
| 4 of 5 people found the following review helpful: A must-have if you're dealing with the autism of a loved one..., October 8, 2005 My son is autistic and that book really made it all easier to accept and understand. Sure, not every autistic person is gonna be as successful and fullfiled as Temple grandin, (just as not every autistic child is an Einstein in the making !) but seing where Temple started (she was pretty severely handicaped by her autism) and where she is now (leading a life even "normal people" could envy) gives you hope that everything is possible if you work for it and believe in yourself (and in your child)! Temple Grandin writes things just as she feels them. No "novel-lingo", just plain facts, feelings and thoughts. Her approach of the cattle world and animal intelligence is amazing, and the source of info about autism (from the insider point of view) is priceless, especially because she goes right to the point. Having her input about relationships, religion and faith is really interesting, as is the whole chapter about Einstein... All together this book is easy to read and understand, entertaining and inspiring... So if someone asked me "what is the first book to read on the subject ?" I would recommend this one too... I think it is a must-have if someone around you is autistic or PDD, it can help family members too (like grandparents) understand your child better... |
| October 8, 2005 |
