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Reviews Written By: A3NL1KW56O3JR8

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	Sid Meier's Civilization IV
	"Addictive"	2009-09-23
I hadn't played a Civ game since the original but I bought this on a whim. It took me a few games to get the hang of things but this plays pretty well. The graphics are impressive and I like how they do the combat. The "ancient" phase seems to move a bit too quickly and I'd like a technology tree that had mutually exclusive techs. It's not hard to get pretty much all the technologies. You can do a lot of micromanagement, if you want, but it isn't necessary. (I never bother with the specialists.) I kind of wish the scale was reduced some. I know that "cities" are supposed to represent large metropole areas but I'd rather have more cities on a map with a smaller scale and more geographic detail. Anyway, overall, Civ 4 is a well-done and enjoyable game. Recommended.
	Lamb of God - As the Palaces Burn
	"Not their best work"	2009-09-14
I would have given this 3.5 stars, if I could. While AtPB has it's moments, the album left me slightly disappopinted, overall. I was told that this was THE Lamb of God album to get. There were a couple of songs I really liked but most were just o.k. I had expected more intereting riff-work. The production seemed off, too; the drums and guitar sound just a touch thin and tinny. Ashes of the Wake and (to a lesser extent) Wrath were considerably better. If this is your first LOG buy, then get Ashes. Of course, if you're already a LOG fan, you'll probibly find AtPB satisfactory. Not recommended (just because they have better albums out there) but definately download track #4, "11th Hour." It's the best song on the disc.
	The Ninth Gate
	"Good until the end"	2009-09-07
TNG is a subtle (and obviously low-budget) film. No special effects. No demons or monsters. A "Constantine" this is not. At over two hours, it was rather long but the plot was interesting enough to keep me watching. A lot of that is thanks to Depp; I thought he did a great job. The ending, however, was rather lame; not what I had expected after investing 2+ hours in the movie. This could have been a good film but the ending was badly handled. If you already like occult films, then this will probably be o.k. If not, you probably don't want to invest your time and money in this one...
	The Ninth Gate
	"Good until the end"	2009-09-07
TNG is a subtle (and obviously low-budget) film. No special effects. No demons or monsters. A "Constantine" this is not. At over two hours, it was rather long but the plot was interesting enough to keep me watching. A lot of that is thanks to Depp; I thought he did a great job. The ending, however, was rather lame; not what I had expected after investing 2+ hours in the movie. This could have been a good film but the ending was badly handled. If you already like occult films, then this will probably be o.k. If not, you probably don't want to invest your time and money in this one...
	The Ninth Gate
	"Good until the end"	2009-09-07
TNG is a subtle (and obviously low-budget) film. No special effects. No demons or monsters. A "Constantine" this is not. At over two hours, it was rather long but the plot was interesting enough to keep me watching. A lot of that is thanks to Depp; I thought he did a great job. The ending, however, was rather lame; not what I had expected after investing 2+ hours in the movie. This could have been a good film but the ending was badly handled. If you already like occult films, then this will probably be o.k. If not, you probably don't want to invest your time and money in this one...
	Death - Live in L.A.: Death & Raw
	"Worth a listen"	2009-09-01
I deleted my earlier 2-star review because, after another half-dozen listens, I didn't think it was fair. These guys aren't great but they are kind of interesting; a bit like Slayer but more subtle. The vocals are probably the weakest aspect of the band. The songs aren't all-out thrashers but there are some interesting riffs. The soloing isn't great (but it is better than Slayer--not that that's saying much). It's a live recording so, obviously, the quality isn't perfect but I wouldn't hold that against them. I haven't heard any of the studio recordings but, based on this CD, I'd say they're worth a listen. Recommended.
	Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America (1st Edition)
	"A must-read"	2009-08-03
Great book. I don't give out 5 stars often but I think HFaC is a must-read for anyone with a serious interest in what's going to happen to this planet (and to us) in the next 50 years. (And if you don't have any interest, then what's the matter with you?...) Friedman looks at the issue from perspectives I had never considered before. Despite the potential to be all gloom-and-doom, Friedman is actually pretty positive that we can get out of the hole we've dug for ourselves. Most "Green" writings seem to be anti-Capitalist and anti-consumption but HFaC is just the opposite: the Market (with incentives and guidance) can actually be the vehicle for becoming divorced from the carbon-economy. Anyway, I could go on but, in short: HFaC is a well-done and thought-inspiring book. Buy a copy today. Highly recommended!
	Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake
	"Pretty good"	2009-07-14
I struggled with wether to give this 3.5 or 4 stars. I was a little disappointed with AotW when I first got it but, after four times through, it's growing on me. Very heavy, no argument there, and there are some pretty good songs. None of the songs really blew me away, though. There are moments with very cool riffs and grooves (not any soloing worth speaking off) but even when a song starts out solid, they sometimes peter-out towards the middle. I can't help but compare them with (early) Pantera in my own mind and I find Lamb of God lacking in some way I can't quite articulate... Still, AotW is a pretty good disc. It's nothing you need to run out and buy right away but it's worth listening to if you have a chance to pick up a copy. Recommended.
	Blue's Clues - Shapes And Colors
	"Much better than Baby Einstein"	2009-07-14
While Blues Clues are geared for more pre-school aged kids, my 2- and 1-year-old find them enthralling. I'd rather they watch things above their level than below, like Baby Einstein products. (Very disappointed with those, but that's another story...). Very educational and they try to encourage active feedback from the kids as they watch. I will definatly be getting more of these DVDs for my kids. Highly recommended.
	Wall-E (Two-Disc and BD Live) [Blu-ray]
	"What a flop!"	2009-07-07
I was surprised how bad this was, especially since it is a Pixar film. The story is slow and the themes are too sophisticated for most children (and, arguably, not entirely appropiate). They really dropped the ball on this one. Save your money. Not recommended.
	Ultimate Punishment: A Lawyer's Reflections on Dealing With the Death Penalty
	"Thoughtful and balanced"	2009-07-07
UP is a very thoughtful and balanced attempt to approach a difficult subject. One of the best things about this book is the tacit acknowledgement that this really isn't an issue where one side is right and the other is wrong; both sides have very meritorious arguments. While I, too, tend to be "agnostic" on the subject (while leaning towards "opposed"), UP presented several perspectives, for both sides, that I had not considered. A well written, insightful, and balanced book. Recommended.
	Baby Einstein - Baby MacDonald
	"Dull and simplistic"	2009-06-04
Wow, what a dull DVD. My 20-month-old lost interest after about 10 minutes. The whole thing was a little more "baby" than I had expected. Maybe it would be o.k. for my 7-month-old but it doesn't seem very engaging... Not recommended.
	Baby Einstein - Baby MacDonald
	"Dull and simplistic"	2009-06-04
Wow, what a dull DVD. My 20-month-old lost interest after about 10 minutes. The whole thing was a little more "baby" than I had expected. Maybe it would be o.k. for my 7-month-old but it doesn't seem very engaging... Not recommended.
	Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War by Judith Miller, ISBN 0743524675
	"Somewhat dull"	2009-05-19
This seems to me to be a rather superficial book about the subject of biological warfare. The early chapters are about fairly well-know incidents of biological "attacks" (i.e., the Japanese subway attack and that cult in Oregon who tried to give an entire town food poisoning). I guess this is to scare the reader into taking the subject seriously. Most of the rest of the book is about the cat-and-mouse game between the Soviet Union and the U.S. regarding their own bio-weapons programs. A lot of ink is also spent on the political history of trying to get the powers-that-be in the U.S. to take the threat of bio-weapons seriously and better fund research labs. In all, the book was somewhat dull. I suppose it works o.k. as a primer on the subject but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Not terrible but not recommended.
	Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War by Judith Miller, ISBN 0743524667
	"Somewhat dull"	2009-05-19
This seems to me to be a rather superficial book about the subject of biological warfare. The early chapters are about fairly well-know incidents of biological "attacks" (i.e., the Japanese subway attack and that cult in Oregon who tried to give an entire town food poisoning). I guess this is to scare the reader into taking the subject seriously. Most of the rest of the book is about the cat-and-mouse game between the Soviet Union and the U.S. regarding their own bio-weapons programs. A lot of ink is also spent on the political history of trying to get the powers-that-be in the U.S. to take the threat of bio-weapons seriously and better fund research labs. In all, the book was somewhat dull. I suppose it works o.k. as a primer on the subject but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Not terrible but not recommended.
	Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War
	"Somewhat dull"	2009-05-19
This seems to me to be a rather superficial book about the subject of biological warfare. The early chapters are about fairly well-know incidents of biological "attacks" (i.e., the Japanese subway attack and that cult in Oregon who tried to give an entire town food poisoning). I guess this is to scare the reader into taking the subject seriously. Most of the rest of the book is about the cat-and-mouse game between the Soviet Union and the U.S. regarding their own bio-weapons programs. A lot of ink is also spent on the political history of trying to get the powers-that-be in the U.S. to take the threat of bio-weapons seriously and better fund research labs. In all, the book was somewhat dull. I suppose it works o.k. as a primer on the subject but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Not terrible but not recommended.
	The TIME BEFORE HISTORY
	"Pretty good"	2009-03-31
The first half of the book or so is dedicated to the biology, chemistry, and earth sciences that were working to shape the world and it's occupants. Familiar territory but well done. Then the book moves into a more detailed discussion of evolution, especially of mammals. This part can be a little dense at times (for the non-Biologist at least). Lastly, there's kind of a strange digression into linguistics, animal intelligence, and ethics. The author writes well and was amusing at times. TTBH started out really interesting but the author seemed to lose focus as he went along. By the end, I was just glad the book was out of pages. Still, overall, it was a good book. Recommended.
	Terraforming Earth
	"Kind of silly"	2009-03-08
While not utterly terrible, TE is a definate disappointment. The concept starts out as pretty cool but very quickly becomes borderline silly. The author struggles (unsucessefully) to find a meaningful story and the characters are flat and kind of juvenile (admittedly, they are young adults, but still...). One has to suspend a great deal of disbelief to stomach this book. I've never read Jack Williamson before and it is very unlikely that I ever will again. Not recommended.
	Mammoth
	"Mildly interesting"	2009-03-08
There is surprisingly little about the project of cloning mammoths. I'm not really sure what it's about; it's disorganized and kind of all over the place. There's some about the mammoths themselves (as living animals), some about the various adventures to find frozen mammoths in Sibera, and some about the science behind the cloning. While mildly interesting, it wasn't especially informative. Not terrible but not recommended.
	The CASE FOR MARS
	"Dated"	2009-02-20
This book is really dated and somewhat overly technical. A very dry and tedious read. I'm sure there are more recent and better written books on the topic. Not recommended.
	The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet
	"Dated"	2009-02-20
This book is really dated and somewhat overly technical. A very dry and tedious read. I'm sure there are more recent and better written books on the topic. Not recommended.
	Third Reich Victorious: The Alternate History of How the Germans Won the War
	"Adequate"	2009-01-07
TRV presents various scenarios where Hitler wins WW2. While presented as "alternate history," some of these scenarios seem more like "historical fantasy." Some of them are interesting and somewhat plausable, however, making for an adequate and moderatly amusing read.
	Migrations and Cultures: A World View
	"Decent but drags after a while"	2008-11-24
MaC is a series of case-studies looking at the migratory patterns and experiences of several different ethnic/national groups. Sometiems referred to a Cliomatrics, this approach to history relies heavily on statistics and, while informative, does lend itself to a dry read. I had thought that this was going to be more of a macro- and analytical work. Oh well. MaC isn't bad but I think it's appeal is limited. I got about 75% through before I lost interest; the same trends occur within each group so it was getting rather redundant. I would have given in 3 stars but I just got bored. Not bad but not recommended.
	What Can You Do With a Law Degree: A Lawyers' Guide to Career Alternatives Inside, Outside & Around the Law
	"Got me thinking"	2008-10-08
No book can solve your problems or tell you what to do with your life. WCYDWALW did get me thinking about things from a different perspective, which is really the most you can expect from any self-help book. It is weighted slighty more towards lawyers looking to change carrers WITHIN the law rather than lawyers looking to LEAVE the law entirely but it should be helpful for someone in either catagory. Either way, the book is worth a look. (Get it used, however; I think I spent about $2.00 for mine). Recommended.
	I Don't Know What I Want, but I Know It's Not This: A Step-By-Step Guide to Finding Gratifying Work
	"Over-rated"	2008-10-08
I can't believe how many people are giving this 5 stars. The various exercises are simplistic and redundant. Not much practical advise or information. I'm glad I only paid $0.97. Not recommended.
	The Golden Compass [Blu-ray]
	"Rushed and disjointed"	2008-09-09
How disappointing. The story is rushed and disjointed, trying to fit way too much material into the time allowed. Since I had read the books, at least I knew what the story was supposed to be. If you didn't read them, then forget about it. The only positives I can mention are that the movie is nice, appearance-wise, and the armored-bears are kind of cool. The ending is abrupt and unsatisying. Of course, they are setting it up for a sequal but, considering how badly this movie was done, a sequal seems unlikely... Not recommended.
	INSIDE THE THIRD REICH
	"Self-serving yet interesting"	2008-08-15
The purpose of all memoirs is to lie. Or, more gently, the purpose is to portray the past in a light favorable to the author. Even accepting that basic truth, memoirs can be very useful. ItTR is history as portrayed by Albert Speer, who was much more than just "Hitler's Architect." The book is an effort by Speer to portray himself as, alternately, a hapless victim of circumstance or a noble dissident, trying to undermine the Hitler regime from within. I imagine there may be some measure of truth to both of these claims but, as I said, the purpose of a memoir is to lie. Especially unimpressive is his great moral conviction to stand up at Nuremberg and take responsibility for everything. It's easy to do the right thing when you have no other real choice... That aside, ItTR is still worth reading. The most interesting aspect of the book is its insights into Hitler's personality. For much of the pre-war regime, up until maybe 1942 or so, Speer was probably once of the few people who might arguably be called Hitler's "friend." At times, one is almost tempted to feel sorry for Hitler, given his obvious personality disorder(s). It's also interesting for what Speer leaves out. There is surprisingly little mention of the Holocaust. The fact that this topic is so consistently avoided undermines the notion that Speer was the moral icon he tries to pretend to be. There is absolutely no way he, in his position, could not have known about the camps and what was happening. After all, he was partially responsible for importing slave-labor to German factories during the war. This omission is very telling, IMO. In all, ItTR is a valuable book, assuming you can read it with the several grains of salt necessary. Speer the historian is acceptable; Speer the "Good Nazi" is absurd. Recommended.
	Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition)
	"Lame and disturbing"	2008-07-21
This was a really creepy rendition of a great classic movie. Even thought the special-effects are many times better, this version of the story has lost all of the charm. Lame and disturbing. The original was much better. Not recommended.
	King Arthur - Extended Director's Cut [Blu-ray]
	"I liked it better than it probably deserved"	2008-07-21
I love this move; not 100% sure why. I liked the Roman spin on the Arthurian Legend. I also like Clive Owen as an actor (and Keira Knightley is, as always, a total fox). Ok, I admit, the movie is a bit contrived at points but I thought it worked pretty well. Arthur's nemesis in the film was a hoot to. (My favorite line: "Finally, a man worth killing.") KA is probably a 3-star movie, in all honesty, but I'm a sucker for these kinds of films. Recommended.
	King Arthur (Unrated Widescreen Director's Cut)
	"I liked it better than it probably deserved"	2008-07-21
I love this move; not 100% sure why. I liked the Roman spin on the Arthurian Legend. I also like Clive Owen as an actor (and Keira Knightley is, as always, a total fox). Ok, I admit, the movie is a bit contrived at points but I thought it worked pretty well. Arthur's nemesis in the film was a hoot to. (My favorite line: "Finally, a man worth killing.") KA is probably a 3-star movie, in all honesty, but I'm a sucker for these kinds of films. Recommended.