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Reviews Written By: A31BD4RXCON7QO

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	Monsters vs. Aliens [Blu-ray]
	"Fun movie, but not 3-D at home"	2009-11-11
At least not in this packaging. Though it doesn't mislead you or anything, it just isn't in 3-D. The movie is fun and the Blu-Ray disk look good though.
	Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (2044B002)
	"Amazingly good for the price"	2009-11-06
The IS system works extremely well, though it is not silent. The lens is small and lightweight, but it is cheap feeling. If you have the money, you'll be happier with more expensive Canon glass, but for the money this lens is hard to beat. With the 18-55mm IS, any Canon EF-S shooter can have a very wide selection of focal lengths with just two lenses. They're slow lenses, but the image stabilization makes up for that in most cases. Obviously moving subjects are the exception and sports photographers will always want fast lenses.
	Espresso-Blend E.S.E. Coffee Pods - 150-ct.
	"Excellent pods that I've used in my Briel espresso unit for years"	2009-11-05
Both the 100% Arabica and the Espressione Espresso are excellent for espresso drinks. Traditionally espresso, unlike good drip coffee, is made with a mix of Arabica and Robusta coffees. The taste differences are noticeable, but I don't have a strong favorite. I use the pods for convenience, although I also roast my own green beans for espresso as well. If you look at the negative reviews, they're mostly on the "best before" dates being passed. While I would also be upset to spend money and get "expired" pods, I should point out that the pods are good for quite some time after their nominal expiration dates. I just found a handful of these Espressione Classic pods with 2002 (this is late 2009 now) dates and they made acceptable, though not spectacular espresso. Basically they're vacuum packed and not much is happening inside the wrapper.
	Lavazza Gran Crema Espresso Pods, case of 150
	"Good crema, good price, and consistent espresso"	2009-11-05
I like these and both of the Espressione (classic & 100% arabica) E.S.E. pods. Have had some bad luck with other pods (Baronet in particular). These are very consistent in the espresso that they make and have excellent crema. And they're the least expensive that I could find on amazon or locally, so I'd recommend them pretty well. Grinding my own coffee (and having roasted it as well), I sometimes make a better espresso than the pods. But not everytime if I don't get the grounds tamped just right. 150 pods should last you a week. At least!
	CANON 50mm/f1.8 Canon Camera Lens
	"50mm options for Canon"	2009-11-03
Once upon a time, an SLR came with a 50(ish) mm "standard" lens with a maximum aperture of somewhere in the f 1.4-2.0 range. Today a 28-70mm (or digital equivalent) zoom is usually kitted with an SLR. This has a maximum aperture generally in the f 4.0-5.6 range. That's something like 1/2 to 1/4 the light gathering ability, and often considerable optical quality, given away in exchange for cheap zooms. If you're looking at this, then you've probably decided on a 50mm or so prime lens, likely because the kit zoom lens is both slow and not very good quality. Here are the options for Canon: Canon 50mm f/1.8 (version 2): It's inexpensive, very fast compared to any cheap zoom and exceptionally good for the price. On the down side, it's cheap feeling, noisy in focusing, and difficult to focus manually. You should buy at least this. Canon 50mm f/1.4: A little bit faster, but that's a less important trait these days with good digital high effective ISOs. More importantly, it's robust, easy to use, with full-time manual focusing (you can just grab the ring even when it's autofocusing), and good image quality Sigma 50mm f/1.4: More expensive than the Canon lens, but slightly better image quality wide open. It's a tough sell since the quality change isn't huge. But if the extra money and Sigma logo don't bother you, then go for it. Canon 50mm f/1.2: Big money for that extra light-gathering ability. If you need this for photographing in a club, then you'll buy it. If you don't need it, it's too expensive and heavy to compete with the lenses above. Another, used, option, the original Canon 50mm f/1.8 EF lens was sturdier and better built, but they're only available used and possibly abused. I own one and am happy with it. I have shot with the Canon f/1.4 as well and that's the lens that I'd buy today.
	CANON EF 50MM f/1.4 USM Autofocus Lens
	"Let's lay out the options..."	2009-11-03
If you're looking at this, then you've probably decided on a 50mm or so prime lens, likely because the kit zoom lens is both slow and not very good quality. Here are the options for Canon: Canon 50mm f/1.8 (version 2): It's inexpensive, very fast compared to any cheap zoom and exceptionally good for the price. On the down side, it's cheap feeling, noisy in focusing, and difficult to focus manually. You should buy at least this. Canon 50mm f/1.4: A little bit faster, but that's a less important trait these days with good digital high effective ISOs. More importantly, it's robust, easy to use, with full-time manual focusing (you can just grab the ring even when it's autofocusing), and good image quality Sigma 50mm f/1.4: More expensive than the Canon lens, but slightly better image quality wide open. It's a tough sell since the quality change isn't huge. But if the extra money and Sigma logo don't bother you, then go for it. Canon 50mm f/1.2: Big money for that extra light-gathering ability. If you need this for photographing in a club, then you'll buy it. If you don't need it, it's too expensive and heavy to compete with the lenses above. Another, used, option, the original Canon 50mm f/1.8 EF lens was sturdier and better built, but they're only available used and possibly abused. I own one and am happy with it. I have shot with the Canon f/1.4 as well and that's the lens that I'd buy today.
	Western Digital WD TV Media Player (WDAVN00BN)
	"Works pretty well, but video quality isn't always good"	2009-10-22
It's a little bit fussy, but if you figured out how to set the clock and record features on your VCR back in the day, this should be just fine for you. It played everything that did not have DTS audio tracks for me up to, but not including 30 frame per second 1080p data. So that basically means most every compressed file. The only downside are the frequent video artifacts and generally low processing of compressed data.
	Canon Powershot SD550 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
	"Good compact digital camera from 2005, easy to fix as well"	2009-10-11
I dropped this on the floor in a building at McMurdo Base in Antarctica and broke the flash assembly. Had been happy with the camera, so found parts online and order the flash. Turned out to be a good number of little screws to remove, but not fundamentally difficult. That repair was a couple of years ago. Last winter I bought much better digital cameras for my daughters at a cost of $110 each with extra batteries and cases. Wouldn't be worth repairing now.
	Colossal Ten Pound Live New England Lobster
	"A criminally irresponsible item!"	2009-10-10
The maximum weight limit for a Maine lobster is about 3-4lbs (the limit is on size) in order to protect the breeding population. A ten pound lobster for a meal is an obscenity. Stick to the 1 3/4lb ones, please!
	James - The Best Of James
	"Perfect car album"	2009-10-06
Was playing this album this evening on my laptop. Brings back memories of tooling across New Mexico in my ancient Volvo wagon. We were in Fort Sumner for the NSBF balloon campaign, long story, and waiting for weather to clear. Took many trips down the state highways with James on full volume, windows rolled down, and the sunroof open. It's that CD.
	Lonely Planet South Pacific Phrasebook (Lonely Planet Phrasebooks)
	"Mostly culture, but a good practical guide to the languages as well"	2009-10-05
Yes, most of this thin book consists of cultural information for the South Pacific islands with just a scattering of common words and phrases in the dialects of each island. But this is just about perfect for the individual traveling from island to island. You're not going to learn the whole language, but you'll get phrases, and the phrases and phrases will be similar from island to island, but not exactly the same. And the locals will often speak a little French or English depending on where you are, and a little bit of the local pidgin. Think of folks on a cruising yacht, or Paul Theroux during his Happy Isles of Oceania writing phase. A great little book for the island hopper. Pick up something more specific if you want to learn some, for example, Samoan.
	Casio Privia PX-130 88 Key Digital Stage Piano
	"For the money, excellent keyboard feel"	2009-09-29
The weighted action on each key gives, I'd say, 90% of the feel of a real acoustic piano. Of course this is a lot smaller, cheaper than new pianos, and has a USB interface. Low notes have a stiffer keyboard feel than higher notes, like a "real" piano. The sounds are excellent as well, based on sampled acoustic pianos. This connected to up to my Mac with a USB cable allowing the keyboard use as a MIDI controller and also the direct transfer of "recordings" made on the keyboard. One good use of this setup would be with Garageband's Piano Teacher.
	Presto 01781 23Qt. Pressure Cooker / Canner
	"Good canner at a good price"	2009-09-22
Really, this is a very simple piece of equipment. Gauge, seal, pressure latch, normal & emergency pressure releases. Decently made and not crazy expensive. Worked quite well in canning a large number of pints (about 20) and also can do seven quarts cans at a time. Perfect for putting up the harvest.
	Jane's Mass Casualty Handbook: Pre-Hospital : Emergency Preparedness and Response
	"Outstanding guide to the first response efforts in mass casualty incidents"	2009-09-22
This is a conveniently sized handbook for the first responder, and for the emergency preparedness teams, tasked with mass casualty preparedness. It seems practical, straightforward, and clearly written for actual use as opposed to liability coverage. This set of protocols is intended to work along with the corresponding hospital guidebook from Jane's.
	Bosch 1/2 In. 8 Amp Variable Speed Hammer Drill
	"Outstanding 1/2" hammer drill, and refurbished is a phenomenal deal"	2009-09-21
This is the best drill I have ever used for concrete. One hole after another until the bit is dull. I bought it refurbished, and other than a sticker saying "factory refurbished" I couldn't tell it from new.
	Milwaukee Sawzall Reciprocating Saw
	"...and a great deal as refurbished"	2009-09-21
I got mine a while ago, in the metal case, but refurbished. Couldn't tell it from brand new in any way other than the stickers on it. Have used this inside for rough woodwork, for sheetrock work, and outdoor for small limbs, landscape timbers, and wooden fencing. This is a serious tool that will give you years of heavy duty service.
	Peltor H10A Professional Earmuff Hearing Protector (Noise Reduction Rating 30dB)
	"Good noise reduction"	2009-09-21
I use these indoors with power tools and outdoors with string trimmers and leaf blowers. Your hearing is important, and this is a simple and inexpensive way of protecting your hearing. With a pair of earplugs, these also worked just fine on the long C-130 flights between Christchurch, New Zealand and McMurdo Station in Antarctica. When these comfortable earmuffs stop being comfortable (after a few hours) you still have the earplugs, and if those bother you can remove them and keep the earmuffs on.
	Energizer L91BP-2 AA Lithium Batteries
	"Exellent low temperature and emergency use battery"	2009-09-21
These are expensive for daily use, I'd recommend NiMH rechargeables for that, but they're perfect for low temperature use (car flashlight in Minnesota winter, digital camera use outdoors in the winter) when both alkalines and NiMHs fail to deliver. These would also be, with very gradual storage loss, great for an emergency electronic device. Maybe for GPS or LED flashlight. Do check that your electronics are happy with these batteries installed. I've heard of both digital cameras and GPS units (Garmin GPS60) that did not.
	Rogue Starter Acoustic Guitar, Blue Burst
	"Quite good for the price"	2009-09-21
If the price wasn't included, this would be more like a 2-3 star review. You do get what you pay for, but in this case you get quite a bit for the money. The instrument is decently finished, was setup acceptably for kids (if you know guitars you can fiddle with it a little a get it setup better, this is too inexpensive of an instrument to take it to a shop to setup), sounded alright, and is fairly robustly made. Look around at different dealers on amazon and in the physical world, especially close to the holidays, and you can find this guitar offered with a bag, extra strings, and a couple of picks for the same price as just the guitar.
	Motor Mount Kit (983)
	"Works fine, but it's not the sturdiest"	2009-09-18
The price is probably just about right. It's a simple board with rods and nuts. But you'd have to do some work to build it yourself for less money, especially if you value your time at all. Okay... So it works just fine, but it is pretty basic and is definitely not of the overbuilt engineering variety of items.
	Minnesota Atlas and Gazetteer (Minnesota Atlas and Gazetteer, 3rd ed)
	"Not perfect, but still a valuable source of information"	2009-08-14
More than once I've found paved roads that aren't in the book, or trails that are blocked. It's got to be extremely difficult to keep a volume like this completely up to date! Still, with a little common sense (hey, this stream now has a dam on it, maybe I should portage around it?) this is a great guidebook to the dirt roads, trails, and windings of streams. There's no need for this in towns or cities, but out in the hinterlands it's the best overview guide that there is.
	Sea Kayaking: A Manual for Long-Distance Touring
	"The essential sea kayaking book"	2009-08-08
Represents what you really need to know about kayaking, presented in a friendly, straightforward manner.
	Jamaica Blue Mountain Wallenford Estate Coffee, 1-lb Whole Bean FlavorSeal Vacuum Bag - (Size [1 Lb])
	"Decent coffee, but ridiculously priced for not fresh coffee"	2009-08-04
I mean this stuff was roasted how long ago? A far lesser coffee roasted a couple of days ago is going to taste a whole lot better. At $50 per pound, what you're tasting is justification for spending the money. What you should do, if you have the money for this sort of coffee, is buy a coffee roaster and start getting good green beans (including Jamaican Blue Mountain) and roasting them fresh yourself. The folks at Sweet Maria's have all the info you need to get started.
	Jamaica Blue Mountain Wallenford Estate Coffee, 8-oz Whole Bean FlavorSeal Bag, Blue/Gold Gift Box
	"Decent coffee, but ridiculously priced for not fresh coffee"	2009-08-04
I mean this stuff was roasted how long ago? A far lesser coffee roasted a couple of days ago is going to taste a whole lot better. At $50 per pound, what you're tasting is justification for spending the money. What you should do, if you have the money for this sort of coffee, is buy a coffee roaster and start getting good green beans (including Jamaican Blue Mountain) and roasting them fresh yourself. The folks at Sweet Maria's have all the info you need to get started.
	The Discovery of Global Warming :
	"Review for the Physics & Society bulletin"	2009-08-03
The Discovery of Global Warming, Spencer R. Weart, Harvard University Press, 2003, 228 pages, $24.95, ISBN 0-674-01157-0 and the associated web pages located at [...] The Discovery of Global Warming is a well-written, concise history of the science of climate change and the resulting discovery of global warming. From Arrhenius in 1896 breaking with the assumption of an unchanging Earth climate through to the politics of the Kyoto accords and New York Times headlines, Spencer Weart's book traces how science, often esoteric science, combines and builds a consistent overall view. Climate can and does change, and not merely over geological time scales but over the scale of a human lifetime. Understanding both the data and the models required to connect the data with natural processes has not been easy. The subtlety of data from ice cores, lakebeds, stratospheric winds, and local weather stations ultimately yields the punch line of "global warming" but it's the chase, not the capture, that is the heart of this book. This chase has turned out to have far more twists, turns, and blind alleys than most would have guessed at the time. What controls the climate? Is it the variation of the Sun, as noted by Herschel in the eighteenth century? Is it the stability of the cold deep waters of the ocean? Or the transformation of old growth forests to grazing land? Greenhouse gases trapped in tropical forests? Or hidden away in blue-green algae? And what of the petrochemical haze of Los Angeles and the killing fog of London? What is a symptom and what is a cause? And further, what do the symptoms truly imply? It might be glib to talk today about the good that might come of global warming--perhaps my Minneapolis winters won't be quite as harsh--but that is just one more lesson that we have learned, or are learning. Advances in modeling and in analyzing the data proceeded hand-in-hand. Atmospheric CO2 measurements (the "poster child" for global warming is the graph of Keeling's Mauna Loa CO2 measurements, see [...] could be explained by sufficiently complex simulations, but those computer models had to incorporate atmospheric methane, deal with the changing solar illumination, correct for the aerosols from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, and be written by increasing large and sophisticated (and better funded) groups of scientists. Combining information from disparate fields such as meteorology, vulcanology, atmospheric chemistry, and planetary science made the discovery of global warming difficult, and probably also prevented the history of the discovery from culminating in one single, glorious epiphany. Instead we find the gradual accumulation of knowledge and understanding with the occasional misstep or red herring, and with the background of political reluctance to act. There is no Moses, and no Newton, in this tale. Instead we have a succession of interesting characters, for instance Ed Lorenz and his butterfly wings, Nick Shackleton's million-year old deep-sea core, and Spencer Weart pulling it all together onto the page for you. Weart, the director of the Center for History of Physics of the American Institute of Physics, has also made sure that the book will not quickly become out of date by producing a set of web pages (see top of article), which both go into additional depth and allow for updated information to be added. In fact, the web "book" adds many more layers, including technical ones, to the paper book. The online text is searchable and very well referenced through bibliographies sorted by both author and by year. The contrast between the two works, and the two media, is considerable. The 200-page (plus chronology and notes) book that I read on a couple of domestic airplane flights is a beautifully written, smooth narrative while the web pages have had me jumping around, following interesting leads, for several evenings in my office. It's hard to think of a pairing of book and web material that more clearly illustrates the relative advantages of the two media. Although the book is readable on its own, I suspect that the Physics and Society readership will feel the need to track at least a few of the historical or scientific developments through the web pages. As physicists, the details of the history of climate change studies are likely to be as interesting as the broad storyline. These details, which make The Discovery of Global Warming a wonderful exercise in the "how science is actually done" school of the philosophy of science, also make for entertaining reading. The pumping of greenhouses gases into the atmosphere is, after all, a very human story and one whose importance will only grow with time. Michael DuVernois, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota
	The Discovery of Global Warming (New Histories of Science, Technology, and Medicine)
	"Review for the Physics & Society bulletin"	2009-08-03
The Discovery of Global Warming, Spencer R. Weart, Harvard University Press, 2003, 228 pages, $24.95, ISBN 0-674-01157-0 and the associated web pages located at [...] The Discovery of Global Warming is a well-written, concise history of the science of climate change and the resulting discovery of global warming. From Arrhenius in 1896 breaking with the assumption of an unchanging Earth climate through to the politics of the Kyoto accords and New York Times headlines, Spencer Weart's book traces how science, often esoteric science, combines and builds a consistent overall view. Climate can and does change, and not merely over geological time scales but over the scale of a human lifetime. Understanding both the data and the models required to connect the data with natural processes has not been easy. The subtlety of data from ice cores, lakebeds, stratospheric winds, and local weather stations ultimately yields the punch line of "global warming" but it's the chase, not the capture, that is the heart of this book. This chase has turned out to have far more twists, turns, and blind alleys than most would have guessed at the time. What controls the climate? Is it the variation of the Sun, as noted by Herschel in the eighteenth century? Is it the stability of the cold deep waters of the ocean? Or the transformation of old growth forests to grazing land? Greenhouse gases trapped in tropical forests? Or hidden away in blue-green algae? And what of the petrochemical haze of Los Angeles and the killing fog of London? What is a symptom and what is a cause? And further, what do the symptoms truly imply? It might be glib to talk today about the good that might come of global warming--perhaps my Minneapolis winters won't be quite as harsh--but that is just one more lesson that we have learned, or are learning. Advances in modeling and in analyzing the data proceeded hand-in-hand. Atmospheric CO2 measurements (the "poster child" for global warming is the graph of Keeling's Mauna Loa CO2 measurements, see [...] could be explained by sufficiently complex simulations, but those computer models had to incorporate atmospheric methane, deal with the changing solar illumination, correct for the aerosols from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, and be written by increasing large and sophisticated (and better funded) groups of scientists. Combining information from disparate fields such as meteorology, vulcanology, atmospheric chemistry, and planetary science made the discovery of global warming difficult, and probably also prevented the history of the discovery from culminating in one single, glorious epiphany. Instead we find the gradual accumulation of knowledge and understanding with the occasional misstep or red herring, and with the background of political reluctance to act. There is no Moses, and no Newton, in this tale. Instead we have a succession of interesting characters, for instance Ed Lorenz and his butterfly wings, Nick Shackleton's million-year old deep-sea core, and Spencer Weart pulling it all together onto the page for you. Weart, the director of the Center for History of Physics of the American Institute of Physics, has also made sure that the book will not quickly become out of date by producing a set of web pages (see top of article), which both go into additional depth and allow for updated information to be added. In fact, the web "book" adds many more layers, including technical ones, to the paper book. The online text is searchable and very well referenced through bibliographies sorted by both author and by year. The contrast between the two works, and the two media, is considerable. The 200-page (plus chronology and notes) book that I read on a couple of domestic airplane flights is a beautifully written, smooth narrative while the web pages have had me jumping around, following interesting leads, for several evenings in my office. It's hard to think of a pairing of book and web material that more clearly illustrates the relative advantages of the two media. Although the book is readable on its own, I suspect that the Physics and Society readership will feel the need to track at least a few of the historical or scientific developments through the web pages. As physicists, the details of the history of climate change studies are likely to be as interesting as the broad storyline. These details, which make The Discovery of Global Warming a wonderful exercise in the "how science is actually done" school of the philosophy of science, also make for entertaining reading. The pumping of greenhouses gases into the atmosphere is, after all, a very human story and one whose importance will only grow with time. Michael DuVernois, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota
	Play & Freeze Ice Cream Maker (Ball)
	"A novelty item, not an actual ice cream maker"	2009-08-02
Plenty of people have never made their own ice cream and find this to be both fun and useful. Having made plenty of ice cream in other, more practical but less fun, ice cream makers I realize that this is strictly a novelty. The kids have fun using it to make ice cream, but it's too small, too hard to use, too impractical, and just silly as an actual kitchen implement. If you want homemade ice cream, use a real ice cream maker. If you want a ball to kick around the backyard and want to fuss with small ice cubes, spillage, and mixing a tiny volume of ice cream, then you're at the right place.
	Kwik Tek - PWC Grapnel Anchor System
	"Works well enough, but it's fragile and breaks easily"	2009-08-02
Engages nicely and is easy to use, but the tines break off very easily. Basically this is not quite strong enough.
	Paddling Hawaii
	"This book is an inspiration, not a complete guide of everything you need"	2009-08-01
The maps are not especially detailed. The itineraries are vague. The equipment lists are not up to date. But this is a well-written paean to kayaking the seas around the Hawaiian islands. If you read this book and are not excited about kayaking the islands, then there is no sense of adventure left in you. Take this book and some good maps, and talk to some folks in Hawaii about the areas you want to kayak. Then you'll be ready to hit the water. The approach is a simple kayak (inflatables are more highly regarded here than most places), a tarp for shelter, mask, snorkel, and fins, and a good preparation for self-rescue. Audrey Sutherland has gone most everywhere in a kayak, and her experiences form the backbone of the book. This is the Hawaii paddling book.
	A Guide to Chicago's Murals
	"An excellent book on Chicago's public murals"	2009-07-18
It's genuinely encyclopedic covering all of the murals currently extant and having some photos and info on some of the missing and lost murals.