Heartbreak & Triumph

Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
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C. W. Fitch reviewed:

Heartbreak & Triumph: The Shawn Michaels Story (WWE) by Shawn Michaels

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful: Heart-breaking and heart-soaring., December 31, 2005 "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, in recent years, has made his way to the top of my favorite pro wrestling character list. That rise is due to a little bias on my part, stemming from my respect of his courageously public profession of his faith. The fact remains, though, that very few people have contributed to and made an impact upon pro wrestling the way Shawn has. Whether you love him, or love to hate him, you know his name. That, plainly and simply, is what matters in the business. This autobiography didn't crack through the bestseller list like his associates Mick Foley and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and that's mostly because Foley started the whole wrestler autobiography trend. Then, it was innovative. Today, it seems that every WWE superstar wants to tell his story, and to most fans it's become little more than a gimmick; another way for WWE to generate revenue and the wrestler to score some more royalties. That doesn't seem to be the case here. Michael Shawn Hickenbottom spins a true-life yarn of his life, and it's wholesome, simple, and easy to read. There's nothing fancy about Shawn's writing style; by no means is he a "master" storyteller like Foley, who has gone on to write children's books. His paragraphs flow along like a lazy stream, but the stream's current increases just when it needs to, capturing readers and taking them on the occasional run down a tumultous rapid. The simple style delivers, and the way Shawn tells his story puts you in his hotel room, locker room, parents' house, bar, or wherever he happens to be at the time. Everything you ever wanted or felt you needed to know about Michaels is revealed in this book. You'll not only relive some of the key moments in his career, but be privy to detailed events (from his perspective, of course) leading up to and after them as well. This really clues you in on what can happen behind the scenes in the wrestling business, and you'll find out quite a few things you may not have known about other WWE superstars. (Small word of warning here: you may want to brush up a little on wrestling terminology before diving into this book. Shawn did a good job explaining/defining almost every wrestling term he used throughout the book, but there are a few times when it seems he got excited about what he was writing and forgot that the reader may not know what he means when he uses words like "Gorilla Position" and "color". No big deal, but it's best to be prepared...) The infamous "Montreal Screwjob" is described in detail in here, which is no surprise. Shawn's take, of course, makes Bret Hart out to be the bad guy, but the way he tells it, there are probably more than a few folks involved who would back him up on that. I'll just say it's hard not to take sides after reading that particular story. As far as the rest of the book, there are the standard bits about being born, growing up, and what he did before going into wrestling. There's nothing particularly heart-stopping there, but there are a few morsels that will make for good trivia. Most of the conclusion focuses on Shawn's spiritual transformation, which is quite entertaining and insightful. In my case, at least, it earned more respect to the man. The only thing I found a little disturbing about that aspect, though, is the way he describes Bret Hart. Instead of turning the other cheek, he tore Hart a new orifice in print and besmirched his name a little further. Now, I was never really a fan of Bret Hart, but it was rather brutal to say the least. Guess that's one thing that will scar both Hart and Michaels for all time. Shawn's relationship with Vince McMahon, though, is what I found the most appealing about the read. While some may denounce it as corporate brown-nosing, I simply saw Michaels bringing out a side of McMahon that not many see. You'll read for yourself what I mean in several places throughout. When all is read and done, Michaels strips himself down to a guy who is completely passionate about wrestling, and was (and still is) willing to do whatever it takes to ensure not only his, but the company's success. From his boyhood dream at age 12 to his current ramblings and rumblings in the WWE, it's a sometimes leisurely, sometimes intense read that maintains a simple, easy-to-follow pace that won't take more than a long weekend to finish. Afterwards, you'll be wiser, and perhaps more appreciative, not only of Michaels, but of the wrestling business as a whole.

December 31, 2005

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Sing Me Home

Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
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Jeff Wiley reviewed:

Sing Me Home ~ Lisa Leuschner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: Lisa Leuschner's Christmas CD is only the beginning for her, December 27, 2005 Most people best know Lisa Leuschner as the talented redhead who was unceremoniously denied her chance at the final round for TV's `American Idol' in 2004. While the show's legitimacy is, in my opinion, largely disingenuous from start to finish, the talent possessed by Lisa is as genuine as it gets. Given the gift of a vocal style that rivals any pop/soul/R & B singer you could think of, Lisa has begun to carve out her niche in the music world with a style that is both classic and unique. On her debut album, `Sing Me Home', Lisa mostly covers some favorite Christmas standards, as well as sprinkling in some new material. Her voice is remarkable, and her CD will fill your living room, vehicle, or iPod with the spirit of the season whether you're entertaining guests, preparing food, or buying and wrapping gifts. `Sing Me Home' is the perfect soundtrack for your holiday activities. While her internationally broadcast snub from `Idol' judge Randy Jackson has evolved into something of reality TV infamy, do not feel sorry for Lisa. Celebrate her dismissal, as it allowed her to not become a puppet of the flesh-eating corporate music industry. Lisa immediately afterwards began establishing success on her own terms, and this CD was the result. Listening to Lisa's Christmas album will not give you sympathy for her `Idol' dismissal; it will make you a Lisa Leuschner fan, and leave you wanting more from her.

December 27, 2005

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Logitech G5 Corded Laser Mouse

Posted by TheTechLounge - Recent Articles: Peripherals: Keyboards / Mice
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I was quite impressed with the performance of the wireless version of this mouse, the G7. Several innovations adorned the smooth and precise wireless mouse and I expect to see similar features on the G5. The G5 shares the same on-the-fly DPI switching and customizable SetPoint software. Logitech started this laser mouse trend last year with their MX1000 model. The MX1000 was a capable desktop mouse with 1,000 DPI resolution. But now Logitech is proving that lasers are becoming more than a gimmick to sell $70 mice. The G5 is an evolution in resolution boasting 2,000 DPI. Logitech is blatantly flirting with the gaming crowd now with the G5 and G7. And with Razer and Microsoft looking for a bite of the laser market, Logitech might have their work cut out for them.

December 27, 2005

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Lynyrd Skynyrd - All Time Greatest Hits

Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
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Philip Turner reviewed:

Lynyrd Skynyrd - All Time Greatest Hits ~ Lynyrd Skynyrd

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful: Really 3.5 Stars For All Time Greatest Hits..., December 24, 2005 Whenever any band produces a 'greatest hits' album they run the risk of eliminating sales of many of their earlier releases. With this 'greatest hits' I think many of the tracks chosen are really not the best of those particular songs. If you're looking for a great live "Free Bird," it's not here! The positive aspects of this release are the great cross-section of songs chosen, and not the particular rendition. One of the things that sets a band like Lynyrd Skynyrd apart from the rest of the Southern Rock crowd is their musical and lyrical integrity. Tracks that really shine are, "Simple Man," "That Smell" and "Saturday Night Special". This band went way out on a limb with their anti hand-gun track "Saturday Night Special." This song was released at a time when the NRA and the gun lobby enjoyed almost unparalleled influence within the halls of Congress. I think that your money might be better spent by shelling out a couple of bucks more for the 'The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd' a two-CD set. This set has all the same releases as the 'greatest hits' yet there are almost twice as many tracks for a few dollars more. Many would say the reason why this band was so popular in the seventies; was that they played live and sounded decent, although sometimes fairly raw, when live too. In that vein, you might also want to consider a live release as the best way to really hear what the band could do with their studio material. My pick for the live album would be; "One More from the Road". What makes a choice like this extremely hard is the fact that this band is probably the most over-produced and over-released band in the Southern Rock genre. Amazon alone has over (80) releases listed for sale. Which amounts to a whole lot of redundancy for a band with about (45) songs! Unfortunately, none of the original 1970's releases are still offered here on Amazon as un-remastered original vinyl recordings on CD. If by some chance you have an opportunity to hear this band from a still-good vinyl release, by all means get it to a good sound system and crank it up. But alas, all that may be left is a good bunch of Rice Krispies from vinyl these days? At least with the way we used to treat our records in the 1970's!

December 24, 2005

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Antec P180 Mid-Tower Case

Posted by TheTechLounge - Recent Articles: Cases: Mid-Tower
http://www.thetechlounge.com

Antec has seemingly spared no expense with the P180. It was made very clear to us during our meeting that the primary goal for all of Antec's new cases was to be as quiet as possible. A number of things were done to help achieve this; from specially designed side panels, large diameter low-speed fans, anti-vibration measures, and more.

December 21, 2005

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Paul Stanley

Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
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Jeff Wiley reviewed:

Paul Stanley ~ Paul Stanley

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: A tour de force for the Starchild, December 16, 2005 Although Ace's solo effort will always be my favorite from the KISS solo records, Paul shows that his songwriting abilities are the heart and soul of KISS. From the opening guitar work of "Tonight You Belong To Me" to the more mellow "Ain't Quite Right" to the epic closer "Goodbye", there are few bad notes on this recording. This is not just highly recommended for KISS fans, but for rock fans seeking something to help scratch their rock itch. Of the four KISS solo records, Paul Stanley's release probably has the closest similarity to the sound that KISS fans are familiar with, but this record is really a tour de force for the Starchild, from start to finish. Paul displays a lot of range not only with his songwriting, but his vocal ability. Paul Stanley is probably the most underrated vocalist in rock history, and has always showed a tremendous amount of range, all of which is on display here. This CD has a timeless, classic rock sound to it that makes you want to listen over and over again and never get bored with it.

December 16, 2005

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Razer Copperhead Laser Mouse

Posted by TheTechLounge - Recent Articles: Peripherals: Keyboards / Mice
http://www.thetechlounge.com

The Copperhead features 2000 DPI optical resolution, ultra-fast data polling and onboard flash memory to store button configurations. Razer has quite a reputation to uphold. In the world of gaming, word of mouth can make or break a product.

December 15, 2005

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Let’s Get It

Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
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J reviewed:

Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 ~ Young Jeezy

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful: BANANAS!!!, December 15, 2005 This album is ridiculous! All the beats is crazy, Jeezy did his thang on this album. Trap Or Die is the anthem here in Dayton Ohio! Air Forces, And Then What Trap Star, Bang, My Hood, they all crazy man! Go Cop This Album ASAP!!!

December 15, 2005

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The Way It Is

Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/themoneysit08-20

J reviewed:

The Way It Is ~ Keyshia Cole

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful: not very good, December 10, 2005 it wasn't very good to me. i liked it the first time i heard it then it just got annoying from there on. The only one song that i still like and still do listen to on a daily basis is "We Could Be" other than that, i don't really listen to her album.

December 10, 2005

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NOVA - The Complete 2005 DVD Set

Posted by Amazon Customer Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/themoneysit08-20

Art reviewed:

NOVA - The Complete 2005 DVD Set DVD ~ Nova

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful: Cost-a-lottus, December 7, 2005 This is great, but who can afford it? It averages out to slightly more than $12.00 per episode (with Amazon's price), but you'd think there would be a better price break for purchasing them all at once. I will never buy something this prohibitively expensive, no matter what it is or how much I admire the series.

December 7, 2005

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