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 | Gerber 05898 Serrated Ridge Knife |
 | "neat little knife with one glaring flaw" | 2007-06-13 |
I've never used the CRKT KISS, the knife upon which the ridge was apparently based, so I can't offer any comparison of the two. I bought the ridge to do small tasks, such as opening mail and cardboard boxes, etc. Its small size makes it an appropriate knife for such tasks, as it is light and thin, fitting unobtrusively when clipped in my pocket. It opens smoothly and locks firmly in place. Contrary to reviews complaining about the handle ergonomics, it is quite comfortable in light use. My main problem with the knife is in its single edge design. The single ground edge is supposed to allow the knife to be constructed with a single sided handle, leaving one edge of the blade exposed when it is closed. Rather than sitting on the handle and thereby sealing the edge, my ridge has a small gap between the blade and the handle. This hasn't proven to be a serious problem, as only the tip of the blade poses any sort of a snagging risk. I haven't cut myself or any pockets due to this issue, but only time will tell. I only paid 10 bucks for the knife new on eBay so its worth having for the kind of tasks I need it for.
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 | Tokyo X |
 | "Interesting Documentary Work" | 2007-06-12 |
Shunji Ohkura combines abstract and documentary images to illustrate a bleak view of Tokyo in the midst of social decline. The images are stark and beautiful, ironic and satirical.
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 | Photographic Portrait: techniques, strategies and thoughts on making portraits with meaning |
| "Good Starter Book" | 2007-06-12 |
This is a great book for those just starting out in Portrait photography. The author spends more time explaining the philosophical and aesthetic approach to portraits as opposed to the technical side. All of the photographs included are by the author. Some of the photos are stunning while others are rather average. The images range from personal snapshots to formal commissions and editorial work. If you are already comfortable taking portrait photography and are interested in learning new lighting or darkroom techniques, look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you are timid about photographing living, conscious, subjects the author gives great insight to the interactions taking place between the photographer and his/her subject.
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 | Tokyo X by Shunji Ohkura, ISBN 4770027389 |
| "Interesting Documentary Work" | 2007-06-12 |
Shunji Ohkura combines abstract and documentary images to illustrate a bleak view of Tokyo in the midst of social decline. The images are stark and beautiful, ironic and satirical.
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 | Araki by Araki: The Photographer's Personal Selection 1963-2002 |
 | "Not for timid viewers" | 2007-06-12 |
Araki is the self proclaimed bad boy of the Japanese art world. His photography ranges from scenic to pornographic. This book covers the highlights of an expansive career covering his documentary, portraits, bondage and abstract work. Stylistically he is all over the place, sometimes intentionally degrading the "quality" of the image by scratching or burning the negatives, at other times, using medium format cameras and intricate studio lighting. Araki is provides a great example of the infinite possibilities that non-digital photography has to offer. WARNING: the book contains sometimes graphic nudity and adult content.
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 | PHILIPS TSU500 Pronto Neo Universal Intelligent Remote Control |
| "Naysayers don't know what they are talking about" | 2007-03-16 |
I have a relatively simple setup, combining a vizio lcd tv, a philips tuner/surround system, a philips dvr/dvd burner, and a motorola digital cable box. Unfortunately, the supplied codes didn't work for any of the components. I had to manually input all of the necessary commands and some of the original remote functions would not transfer to the Pronto Neo. Unfortunately, the system can be a little buggy. I tried to use several "economy universal" remotes, but they too had problems with the functions of the philips tuner and dvr. They can be odd and somewhat specific to those units. So, the typical univeral remotes just didn't have buttons for the functions I was looking for. The great thing about the pronto neo and other touch screen remotes is that you can basically design the button layout and make the remote do anything you want within its IR learning capacity. You get all of the functions of $300 plus remotes in a larger and less sleek design. But, you get it for a fraction of the price. The remote is not perfect. But, I was able to program all of the commonly used functions of 4 different remotes into this one unit, as well as install a channel logo database that auto tunes with the push of a button. This remote is great because I can control the cable box (guide, info, exit, page up and down, day+ day-, menus), the tv aspect ratio, the dvr functions (pause, ff, rw, rec) and the tuner volume and inputs without changing the device or screens. You can also program the remote to perform several functions with the push of a single button. I am able to turn on the tv, the cable box, the surround sound, the dvr (and select the correct input) with the touch of one button. While I believe that a professional could program the remote to work flawlessly and conveniently for any system, the remote comes with some software that will help you do it yourself. It has a steep learning curve. I spent about 5 hours total building my remote. But it was worth the effort for the ease of using my A/V system.
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 | SHURE E2 High Energy In-Ear Earphones |
| "Best I've ever owned." | 2007-03-16 |
I have an iPod. The white headphones suck...I'm sure most people have figured it out by now. A lot of people are opting for the over the ear DJ style headphones made by sony, bose, or sennheiser (sp?). I'm of the opinion that those aren't the most portable headphones...and sometimes considerations have to be made. So, in sticking with the small in ear buds, I tried out a pair of sony's priced at 50 or so. These sucked. While the sound quality was acceptable, they were very fragile. Next I got some E2c headphones from SURE. The sound is amazing from these little headphones. The customizable ear pieces give a variety of fit and comfort for every ear type. The great thing is that they seriously reduce outside noise, and those around you can't hear what you are jamming to, so you aren't annoying anyone. Because of this...you probably shouldn't use these while jogging or riding a bike because they cut you off from the outside world.
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