price：$20.02
Presto
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (pressure cooker) 『This is a great pot. I can't believe I waited so long to own one.』
(Good pressure cooker) 『Every thing is great from pricing, shipping, and using the product. The only thing I did not like is the pressure regulator that is just a piece of loose metal that sits on top of the port. There is no string or any place to put this regulator. If you lose this piece, your pressure cooker is just a pot.』
(great customer service) 『My product was received very quickly and in the condition described. I am very excited to use it. Customer service was excellent and I would definitely do business with them again.』
(I would buy it again, better than expected) 『Wasn't sure what to expect for the price, but after receiving I was pleasantly surprised. I bought for sterilizing glassware for home-brewing, and it did the job. Also cooked a beef roast, and it came out delicious and tender after only 45 minutes! Not quite as tender as crocking all day, but very close....for the short cook time I would describe it as excellent! I have only had it a couple of weeks, but so far I have no regrets on this purchase. Instructions are simple (as is using the pressure cooker) and to the point. I would recommend without any reservations.』
(Pressure Pot) 『Great price for an 8 qt pressure cooker. My mother in Law used it right away and loved it.』 『Cooks lighter meals, healthier, fast and easy. Durable polished aluminum for even heating. Includes special ergonomic handles, cooking rack, and recipe book. Pressure regulator maintains proper cooking temperature automatically. Cover lock indicators show at a glance when there is pressure inside the cooker. Pressure cooking preserves flavors and nutrients. Lean meats cook up tender and delicious』 『Pressure cookers have experienced renewed popularity over the last several years because cooks have rediscovered what some cooks (particularly grandmas) have known for a long time--they're really fast. And it's easy to cook healthfully with pressure cookers, since the food retains so much more of its nutrients and flavor. Presto's 8-quart pressure cooker is a multi-purpose pot that can stand in as a conventional soup pot as well as perform the kitchen magic that pressure cookers are famous for. Chicken Cacciatore cooks in 8 minutes! And it's big enough for home canning, too. (The USDA recommends pressure canning as the only safe method for low-acid foods such as vegetables, meats, and poultry.) This durable, polished-aluminum pressure cooker is an economical addition to any well-rounded set of kitchen tools.
The heavy-duty lid locks down during cooking; an inner sealing ring keeps the steam in. In addition to a pop-up pressure indicator and a simple steam release mechanism, there is an overpressure plug that will let off steam if it builds up excessively. This pressure cooker is useful for weeknight dinners or for any meal that needs to come together quickly. An accompanying booklet contains more than 65 recipes, ranging from basic soup stocks to stews and pot roast--even desserts like Oatmeal-Apple Crisp! Tenderize lean cuts of beef or pork; or cook chicken, fish, or vegetables faster than you can in a microwave, and without losing moisture.
Nonabrasive cleansers are best for cleaning this polished aluminum pressure cooker, though occasional use of a fine metal polish will help the exterior keep its shine. The Presto 8-quart aluminum pressure cooker is fully immersible; in addition, the sealing ring should be removed after each use to allow cleaning of the inside rim of the lid. The vent pipe is simple to keep clean with a small brush or pipe cleaner, and both the air vent/cover lock and the overpressure plug are removable. The pressure cooker measures 11-1/2 inches in diameter (17 inches including handles) and 9 inches tall (including lid). Presto guarantees this pressure cooker with an extended 12-year warranty. A detailed instruction and recipe booklet is included; special safety issues that pertain to pressure cookers are clearly explained.--Garland Withers』
price：$101.75
Zojirushi
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great Rice Cooker) 『This is a great rice cooker. Using the menu option GABA BROWN - I never thought brown rice would taste that great, but it does. At first glance the control panel looks very intimidating. But it is very easy to use. The only complain I have is that the steam condensation spills on the back side of the cooker when you open the lid. I wish they put something on the back of the cooker to capture the water.』
(Great cooker) 『Excellent rice cooker. Cooks rice perfectly and keeps warm and moist for a day. Have a large family and this is more than up to the job. The stainless bowl and lid are easy to clean up and nothing sticks to the interior. Price is more than justified when you are able to set the timer and have rice warm and waiting when you get home. Makes it nice to have one less thing to worry about when preparing dinner.』
(Solid rice ccoker) 『Although it seems overkill, if you want perfect rice, this gadget will do it for you.
No real negatives, perfect for a rice lover』
(a new experience) 『I bought this based on all the reviews. The only complaint anyone made was about price so I figured I'd go for it. This is my first experience using a rice cooker and I wish I'd gotten one years ago! I just made my first batch of rice - with ground beef, boullion, garlic and ginger. After cooking the rice, I combined it with veggies to make fried rice and it is delicious! No hassle with watching it, adjusting the temp, making sure it doesn't burn, boil over, etc. The rice is perfectly done, not sticky or gooey and of course, not burned. I also got the Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook to go with it because I love all kinds of Asian food and there is a huge variety of recipes with all types of rice. I especially like "congee," aka porridge, the ultimate comfort food soup made with rice and other ingredients. I look forward to making that during the winter or to help myself feel better if I get a cold. I'm also looking forward to trying GABA (germinated) brown rice. Certainly, this is an expensive machine but if you eat a lot of rice and want it done perfectly in a machine that will last, this is a good one to get.』
(Zojirushi Rice Cooker-Induction Heating) 『Share your opinion
4. Select a review type
Written review
Item being reviewed Zojirushi NP-HBC18 10-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer with Induction Heating System, Stainless Steel
We are a family of rice eaters and frequently cook various types of rice. We wanted our next rice cooker to be reliable and effective. We are very pleased with our new purchase. Each grain of rice is plump and cooked to perfection. Yes, it is a high-end model, but it does not disappoint!
』 『Zojirushi Mikom 10 Cup Rice Cooker - Zojirushi NPHBC18』
price：$5.01
Panasonic
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (LOVE IT) 『This has become one of my favorite kitchen appliances. I will never again do instant rice!』
(i like it alot) 『I really like this rice cooker. It's fast. The rice is slightly sticky, but I like it that way !』
(Good quality. Good for 4 people.) 『It's just the good size for my family of four people. It's running well so far...』
(Good rice cooker) 『I have been using this rice cooker for a couple of months now and it works fine. I wanted one without a non-stick coating to replace my old Panasonic which was too small and had the Teflon coating which was peeling off. It is easy to clean up if you soak it for a few minutes. At first I was getting very soggy rice as I was following the instructions incorrectly - you should add the rice to the pan and THEN add the water as it says, not the other way round. Doh! And soak the rice in the pot before turning it on. Simple. I don't bother washing the rice first. It does tend to bubble at the top even with just 2 cups of rice, but not that bad. Always let stand for about 10 minutes after cooking to avoid sticking. All in all I am very happy with it.』
(Great little rice cooker) 『I purchased this as a replacement for a 5+ year old (and smaller) Panasonic rice cooker that fell on the floor a few too many times (the on/off switch/lever eventually broke.)
Like the other one, this one cooks rice perfectly, is easy to clean, and remarkably easy to cook rice. Add rice, add water, press the one button it has...a while later, out comes perfect rice.
Having not owned any other makes or models (other than the other Panasonic), I can't say this is better than the competition - but it does speak volumes for Panasonic that I have no need or desire to look elsewhere for a great rice cooker.
Highly recommended, and would buy again.』 『Make cooking rice easy with the automatic cooking feature of this unit! The Automatic Cooking feature cooks rice at the touch of a switch and helps reduce overcooking. Keeps Your Rice Warm until You're Ready to Serve The Keep Warm feature helps keep rice warm up to four hours and also keeps your rice moist after cooking.』
price：$3.01
Mondo Melodia
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Awsome!!) 『If you love to belly dance, this is the CD for you! It was everything I wanted and more. I love putting this CD in the player, and dancing away to it...it's truly an amazing experience! Thanks!』
(Beautiful and inspiring music) 『Once again the Bellydance Superstars produced a wonderful and inspiring collection of songs: great for listening, teaching and performing!!! Varied in mood and melody, worthy of the "Superstar rating". 』
(Bellydance Superstars vol III rating) 『I've been taking bellydance lessons for 3½ years on&off. This cd has several songs that I recognize and like....a couple you can dance to at a party like..El Kalam Ala Meen&Lawn Oyounak』
(Good, But Not As Good As One and Two) 『This one hasn't hooked me as well as the first two volumes have. I might have liked it better if I didn't own the first two. Volume One will always be my favorite and I think it spoiled me. It may simply be a matter of personal taste and preference. I don't care for most of these songs but that doesn't mean that it's not a good CD. I do like three of the songs and I am finding that it is slowly growing on me the more I listen to it. For bellydancing, the songs all have the right beats and tempo and may appeal to other dancers with different musical tastes. There's a good variety ranging from classic bellydance to modern music and the artists are the best of the best. I do wish that more of the songs used in the performance DVDs had been included. I prefer Volumes One and Two, but if this was the only one you could get it wouldn't be a waste of money. It's still worth buying for your personal collection or studio library.
To learn more about the history of bellydance and the Bellydance Superstars' role in educating the public about this art form, check out the "American Bellydancer" DVD.
』
(Great for Dancing!!!) 『These are all very good songs for dancing. It is very easy to make a choreography from these songs, especially for a folkloric group. There is a lot of fun folkloric music here. There is a modern fusion piece with drums by Isaam (#2). The drums are very beautiful and Isaam is a great drummer. The first song on this CD is one of my favorite songs. It has such a beautiful arrangement. The music is a rich mixture of baladi, saidi, classical and drums. I love number ten also: it is a lovely accordion baladi. This CD also has very nice, interesting music that could be used for tribal-style. Overall, it is a great CD, and I like all of the songs here.』
price：$6.98
Mca Special Products
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (asia the side of life gold) 『Many years ago when the first album came out bough it with intense years>I found out that as my age progresses I tend to actually listen as I was at the opera ASIA has been my opera music. because they have mastered lyrics for the upper heavy metal croud. they are todays music masters. I rate a five.』
(The last from Asia's first era, but by no means the least) 『Astra has long been looked down upon as the weakest of the original three Asia releases. With Steve Howe officially out of the fold, the disintegration of the original Asia prog-rock-alumni-supergroup concept was well underway, and this would prove to be the last Wetton-era studio release (not counting 1990's largely compilatory and contractually obligated "Then&Now") for another 20 years.
So by all means, Astra "should" be relegated to the occasional-listen, obscure-80s-AOR pile. Yet it's actually one of my favorite CDs of all time.
Let me be clear: I'm not an Asia fan whose affinity for the group is limited to any one subset of their long and diverse history. I love music from both the Wetton and Payne eras, and I have just about all the releases. Maybe this frees me from harboring prejudice against anything with an Asia label that's not Downes/Howe/Palmer/Wetton. Maybe it's just personal preference. Either way, I think some of Asia's strongest material can be found on Astra.
Even without Steve Howe, Astra has an extremely distinct "early Asia flavor." That's because it burst forth primarily from the John Wetton/Geoff Downes songwriting nucleus which, it may be argued, was largely responsible for defining the group's epic-yet-pop-accessible sound in the first place. Howe's characteristic guitar style is noticeably absent, but for better or for worse, it would not have been emphasized enough in these compositions to matter. That said, Mandy Meyer does a perfectly good job of picking up the Asia guitar mantle for this release.
The version I'm reviewing is some kind of re-release, supposedly remastered. So far, I have not detected any discernible difference in sound quality from the original. But it was cheap, and I didn't mind picking up a second/newer copy anyway, since my old Astra CD is looking a bit worn. I can say that Astra always had very weak bass (typical 80s production style), and if anything, I'd like to see remastering fix that. Unfortunately, that does not appear to have been addressed with this re-release.
So how about the songs themselves? I normally wouldn't do a track-by-track review of an entire album, but it just so happens that I like every song on Astra, which is rare enough to justify the added thoroughness. (Note that the track order on this reissue is slightly different from that of the original release.)
The CD leads off with "Go" and "Voice Of America," probably the two best-known songs from this release, and apparent staples of Asia concerts in the years since. "Go" is an energetic anthem that lives up to its name, and "Voice Of America" showcases John Wetton on the layered-vocal-harmony sound for which he is perhaps best known.
"Hard On Me" is a fun song that, for whatever reason, doesn't get a lot of recognition. It's very typical Geoff-Downes-synth-driven rock, which isn't a bad thing at all.
"Wishing" is a powerful, moving, fast-ish-ballad-ish song with a timeless, bittersweet melody and lyrics, and I'm really surprised that it wasn't a big hit. It has everything you'd expect in a hit song: a catchy melody, touching romantic lyrics steeped in a feeling of loss and yearning, a nice arrangement and instrumentation, etc. I'm not sure whether it was even released as a single, so I can't say which factor(s) is/are to blame for this song not achieving greater popularity.
"Countdown To Zero" uses a very distinctly eighties-ish sound to discuss a very serious subject (World War III and nuclear holocaust), although lyrically (and perhaps instrumentally, depending on your tastes), it wear its cheese on its sleeve. Notice the insertion of "timely issue phrases" like the line about "stinging acid rain," which actually makes no sense at all in this context -- it was just an attempt at sounding current and hip with the big issues of the time. Well, call it a guilty pleasure, but I still like the song. The melodies and harmonies are solid, and the arrangement very effectively evokes the intended mood of impending doom. Plus I like the processing of Wetton's voice on the spoken part. He sounds very commanding and "god-like."
"Love Now Til Eternity" starts out sounding like, for lack of a better term, circus music; but it quickly turns into a melodically powerful romantic ballad. If you're looking for ultra-profound lyrics, you might not find those here, but the music does a beautiful job.
"Too Late" is a classic Asia-style rocker. Multiple layers of Wetton on top of organ introduce the chord progression, and then synth and guitars take over, with the help of some interesting Carl Palmer double-bass. On the chorus, this song reminds the listener that Wetton vocal harmonies and Downes keyboards combine to form a sheer wall of sound that few artists in the history of rock could rival.
"Suspicion" is one of my all-time favorite Asia songs. That's not because of the lyrics, which are fairly stock and even strange at times. It's because of the composition and instrumentation, especially from about the 2:25 mark through the end of the song, where (mainly) Downes does what he does best: an epic, bombastic, larger-than-life, synth-driven, more-than-a-minute-long outro (an approach also heard in "A Far Cry," "Enough's Enough," and "Free," among others). If I had to pick a favorite aspect of Asia's music, the "Big Geoff Downes Outro" would be it, and this song has it in a big way.
"Rock And Roll Dream" obviously has something to do with rock stardom, but it's not entirely clear what the lyrics are saying about the subject. The song has varying sections ranging in mood from ominous to epic and heroic. The ending is almost playful, featuring interplay between Wetton harmonies, guitar, and keyboards.
This brings us to the final track: "After The War." The lyrics seem to describe a post-apocalyptic fantasy world with some megalomaniacal madman to watch out for. Again, I'm not too concerned about the exact meaning of the words. They create a feeling that is well supported by the music. Carl Palmer gets to show off a bit on this track, and Wetton sounds as authoritative and commanding as ever. This song reminds me of part of why I like Asia: many of the songs are about more than the usual set of possibilities -- boy meets girl, boy gets dumped by girl, boy tries to lure girl back, etc. -- conjuring up interesting images and letting the listener wonder a little. In that sense, this song is an effective closing track.
After listening to Astra for many years, I feel that every song has something interesting to offer. I think it's unfortunate, in a way, that Asia saw such massive success with their first album (riding the wave of popularity generated by the song "Heat Of The Moment"), because it managed to overshadow just about everything that was to follow, especially as "creative differences" gradually split the band over the next few years. Astra was essentially the last musical gasp of that era of Asia, but by no means is it a collection of leftover scraps.
If I had to isolate a weakness in the album, it would be the lack of blatant instrumental virtuosity. Clearly, given their musical pedigree in acts such as Yes and ELP, these players (well, at least the original three -- no way to know about Meyer) are endowed with impressive technical skills. And sure, we all know Asia has always represented the "poppier" side of progressive rock, probably not qualifying as "prog" at all by some people's standards, but other Asia albums at least -- particularly the first one -- have exhibited slightly meatier chops and tighter playing. Yet given the typically "accessible" flavor of Downes/Wetton songwriting, the relative musical simplicity of Astra should come as no surprise, especially with Howe gone. I think it's an unfortunate omission, but it doesn't stop me from enjoying the music.
Solid composition and instrumentation, backed by Carl Palmer's distinct style on drums, Geoff Downes's epic synth ambience, and John Wetton's inimitable "wall of vocal harmony" -- with a more-than-competent guitar presence from Mandy Meyer -- make Astra a solid release deserving of as much recognition as any in Asia's catalog.』
(An '80s nugget) 『What we have here is a much-maligned effort that does not deserve the bad rap inflicted by some on this Web site as well as reluctant buyers of this LP over the years. Sure, the band's inaugural "Asia" smashed its way into the best-seller charts three years before with a heavy dependency on lead guitar from Steve Howe. By the time "Astra" came along, Howe was gone and the capable Mandy Meyer took his place. I applaud the band here, especially singer/composer/bassist John Wetton, for stretching the bounds of creativity. It's a drive that's marked his career, as he was always one to exit the safe, four-lane highway from time to time to challenge the riskier, unknown paths to the sides. In "Astra's" far-reaching melodies, Wetton and his lineup break out of the claustrophobic confines of simple guitar-bass-keyboard-drums and add a wider range of sounds yet still keep their trademark Asia harmonies. From the echoes in "Go" to the ballad-like "Love Now Till Eternity" to the anxiety-filled "Suspicion" to the end-game "After the War," this LP offers a much broader smorgasbord of sound than Asia's previous two efforts. "Astra" didn't take the first few times I listened. But then something clicked -- or, rather, it cracked the veneer of Asia's previous predictability, and it's been near the top of my CD heap ever since. Enjoy it for what it is, a nugget of quality music in a decade when such work was, by the standards of the '60s and '70s, elusive. 』
(No Howe,......No how.........An Alright Asia Album) 『After being spoiled by "Asia" and "Alpha", "Astra" really pales by comparison. The glaring absence of Steve Howe is virtually devastating to the effort as a whole. The overwrought, cheesy synth-driven tunes, as good as some of them are, could have been dramatically improved with the addition of Mr. Howe's guitar wizardry. I realize he was out of the group by this time, but you'd have thought they would have at least attempted to duplicate his sound here and there. That being said, there are some good songs here and overall it's worth a listen to. I'm pretty pumped to hear their new cd "Phoenix". The samples I've heard so far are promising. Here's hoping Steve Howe gets his due on the new album and returns Asia to the original sound that made them a household name in 1982!!』
(Astra Review) 『I had this DVD before only lost it due to a B&E. It's great to have the music back again. I listen to it almost constantly. I'll probably wear it out.』 『Japanese limited edition reissue of 1985 album, packaged in a miniature LP sleeve.』 『Japanese Limited Version featuring an LP Style Slipcase Cover.』
price：$0.99
Fantasy
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Good Music, Bad Recording) 『Although the performances are really good and out shine the recording, there is in fact pops, cracks and distortion in the recording. Thats a shame seing how an engineer with even a modest studio and equipment could really clean up the tracks and remaster them to there full glory. Having just done this myself with some reels of of 11 year old analog tape and delivered clean results without impacting the sweetness of the analog sound. The record company should really give these performances the attention they deserve.』
(A Passage to India) 『Ravi Shankar introduced Indian music to the Western world. With the help of his friend, the late George Harrison, East met West in a spicy fusion. These "Ragas" date back to 1973,when master sitar player Sri Ravi Shankar collaborated with sarod player Ali Akbar Khan.
Their "Ragas" are meditative. Each piece is about 20 minutes long (five times the length of the average pop song!) They aren't readily accessible to the novice listener. They take time and patience. Each raga is for a different mood or time of day. The pieces meld into each other,like the passage from sunrise to sunset.
"Ragas" helped introduce me to world music. It's a sonic passage to India. Sit back, relax, and contemplate.』
(simple commentary) 『Although I am a relative new-commer to the Raga form, I highly recommend this CD for both the familiar and unfamiliar listener. The quality of the recording is fine; the quality of the music is exceptional.』
(Should be redone) 『Needs to be remastered. Sounds like listening to an LP. Not like Fantasy Records to let this happen. Very easy today to take out this noise and scratches. Brilliant performances.』
(Can't Get Better Than This) 『There is absolutely nothing that compares with this ... the music and the 'jugalbandi' (partnership) is just amazing. One has to understand the context really - Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan share the same Guru and while their stylstic approachs may be different, the essential development of the raag-s is the same. Also, both know the other very well and can almost anticipate each other's 'moves' - though I daresay anticipating Ustad Ali Akbar Khan is in the realm of fantasy! Buy this and all that you can get of the duo on a CD! Priceless.』 『This 1973 release presents some precious collaborative music from the mid-'60s by India's greatest sitar player, Ravi Shankar, and master sarod player Ali Akbar Khan, for an insightful snapshot of Indian classical music in America during the 1960s. If it's possible to "jam" on the sitar and sarod, that's what these two masters do on the first two tracks while drone and tabla dance in and out of their soulful, somewhat improvised, vignette. "Ragas Ramdar Dalhar" takes its sweet time in unfolding, sprinkling glorious tones like raindrops before jumping into waves of ecstatic sound when the tabla furiously chimes in. "Raga Malika" is a steady, melodious piece, churning on with lively tabla and vibrant sarod. The CD's sound quality, while not up to late-1990s standards, is certainly free of crackling and distortion. Very listenable and a wonderful slice of history.--Karen Karleski』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (One of the Best of it's kind but.....) 『As the Cyberpunk genre of Science Fiction writing grew in both authorship and readership, it only made sense that Hollywood would try it's hand at re-creating it in film. The results have been mostly dismal. Johnny Mnemonic and Paycheck might have had the plot elements but were way short of the "feel" so prevalent in the writing. Maybe they suffered from the star power or excessive budgeting or whatever but they were way short of the mark.
Enter Abel Ferrara. I'll say up front I like much of his work, with The King of New York being my favorite. The first time I saw it I was a bit confused as to all the things going on in the plot line, but the feeling of the film stayed with me to the point where I had to see it again. Now it's in my library and I watch it a couple of times a year. This is what makes this film mostly (but not entirely) successful. Of the several movies I've seen delving into Cyberpunk this is the one that comes closest to approaching the feeling of the Gibsian not too distant future, over technologized, over incorporated society. Things are moving at a breakneck pace and the stakes are high. The genius stroke in technology can put one company on top and another in the grave and that's pretty much what is happening here. Chris Walken and Willem Defoe are the primaries in a scheme to get a top engineer from one company to another and things go really bad.
The plot is great to a point but the problem is that it doesn't really end. It stops. The climax comes way too early and there's no reason to keep the movie going but it does for what seems like forever. I won't spoil things but Defoe ends up in a cubby hole at "The New Rose Hotel" replaying the events in his mind and the viewer must now re-watch many of the scenes he's already watched. Was the script that bad or did they simply run out of money. Maybe they thought they had a 90 minute movie and only had 75 minutes after the final cut. Whatever....this is why the film ultimately fails.
This should be seen though because it is one of the only films of its kind to capture the essence of the literature. A great effort if nothing else.』
(Something else.) 『I started watching the movie, finally having had it on hold, i'd heard about it and how hated it was apparently. As a film it's great, obviously not the greatest thing, but it was pretty intimate. It wasn't a big ending or it wasn't much an action thriller, it wasn't that kind of picture at all. But, it was definitely a picture about the characters. The look of the film was very interesting and very dark, the score was pretty great, the acting too, great. I think Ferrara made a great film, that seems to really be something that's been misunderstood. I haven't read the William Gibson short story so i don't know how much it differs from the original story, but adaptations are hardly ever perfect, maybe a few times, but what counts is the film on it's own. How the film performs and if it does anything for you.』
(Abel meets his match in Asia Argento) 『New Rose Hotel, based on the short story by William Gibson , is a very confusing yet entertaining film from director Abel Ferrara. You might not be clear on what is actually happening, not at first anyway, but you will be certain of how Abel fell for his leading lady Asia Argento. The two dated for a while after the making of this film. Argento is not only incredibly sexy but she can also act. She's the best thing going for this film which stars Christopher Walken as Fox and Willem Defoe as X. The film takes place sometime in the future and major corporations are stealing top scientists from rival companies. Fox and X are trying to lure a Japanese scientist to their company. They hire a struggling prostitute and dancer named Sandi (Argento) to seduce him. She agrees to do it after they tell her how much they are going to pay her. X starts tutoring her in how to be seductive and the two fall for each other. Several steamy sex scenes follow and Fox gets wind of his partner's new fling. He worries that this will jeopardize their mission but also their friendship. Walken does a good job of showing the fear that Fox has as the older of the two who worries that his young protege is going to leave him. The basic plot is very similar to that of a classic film noir where two guys use a beautiful young woman to get information about a mystery man. One of the guys falls for the girl, the other guy gets suspicious, and someone dies. For the film's first hour it seems like scenes are being cut short and we aren't getting the full story. Abel plays the full scenes during the film's last half hour cluing us in on what he was hiding. This makes that portion of the film the most exciting since we're finally getting the full story and by this time we're invested in what happens to X and Sandi. The acting from the three leads is excellent and there is a lot of humor in the film. Early on there is a scene between Walken and Defoe that starts off scripted and ends on a hilarious rant improvised by both men. It's a nice Abel touch. Many of the people who worked on this film worked on Abel's previous film "The Funeral" including Walken, Gretchen Mol, Annabella Sciorra, and Victor Argo. This film also has a great score by Ferrara regular Schooly D. Definitely worth checking out for Abel fans or for any of the three stars.』
(Interesting premise and fine performances by Walken, DeFoe&Argento, but ultimately unfulfilling) 『Sometimes making a feature length film from a short story can work, as the director can elaborate and add texture to the story. Most of the time, short stories make bad movies, and New Rose Hotel exemplifies why. About half-way through this interesting (but ultimately empty) film, the story noticeably looses steam and goes into "filler" mode, where we get a bunch of flash-backs on things we've already seen. But I've jumped ahead. Here's the story.
Christopher Walken and Willem DeFoe are free-lancers in a sort of dystopia of corporate rule, emotional distance, and meaningless sex. They basically "turn" high-level corporate employees, getting paid for facilitating the "defection" of these "stars" from one company to another - the right people can mean billions to a company's bottom line. Like many movies, we join our "heroes" at a critical point, where they are this/close to either the motherload score or a body bag.
Enter the off-beat, talented and unconventionally gorgeous Asia Argento as the hooker with the heart of gold (or maybe stone), who they task to "turn" a big-time scientist-type genius dud. Needless to say, things start off one way, then twists happen that spin the story in a different direction, all complicated by DeFoe falling for the sexy Argento.
Walken is excellent here, as he's allowed to really go with it, spouting lines only he can deliver, making those faces and even doing a little song and dance. DeFoe is...DeFoe - always solid, but given a character that is not completely realized, and a story that is a little transparent. But Argento is the show - sexy, tattooed and hard-to-take-your-eyes-off in a fairly explicit role (the Euros are so comfortable with their bodies...). Also "stars" Gretchen Mol in what is nothing more than a glorified cameo (I'm guessing some scenes wound up on the cutting room floor). See "much more" of her in the Bettie Page flick inwhich she stars.
Unfortunately, as mentioned, the story runs out of steam, gets very "noire"-ishly conventional, and wraps itself up quickly and unfulfillingly, as if its double-parked. It seems as if its making a statement early on (greed, nations ruled by corporations, etc...), then loses its way.
Would have given this 2 stars if not for the luscious Argento, who brings a raw sexuality to her performance. She makes the first half of this as interesting as the second half (w/o much of her) is as uninspired. 』
(Horrid mess) 『An unbelievable mess, this incredibly confusing movie makes Ferrara previous "The Blackout" a model of narrative clarity. This shoddy movie is one of the reasons that Ferrara has become more and more a marginal figure (his films are now barely released in the US). The reason why actors of the caliber of Dafoe and Walken starred and produced this movie is beyond me. The only thing that makes this movie worth a look are a few nude scenes from the beautiful Asia Argento.』 『Abel Ferrara's adaptation of William Gibson's cyberpunk story (from the short-story collectionBurning Chrome) is quite faithful to the source, which may explain why it bypassed cinemas almost completely to emerge on video. Gibson's story takes place entirely in flashback as its hero shuffles through the events that brought him to the tiny shoebox of a room in the New Rose Hotel, on the run and out of ideas. Ferrara winds up in the same place, but first plays out his story for us to see... sort of. Industrial headhunters Christopher Walken, limping through the movie with a cane and a rumpled white suit like an emaciated Sydney Greenstreet, and Willem Dafoe, his jaded, tired partner, hatch a plan to lure a genetic-sciences genius from one corporation to another for a $100 million payoff. The key to their plan is seductive bar girl and part-time prostitute Asia Argento, a flirting chanteuse with whom Dafoe falls in love. Set in a grimy technological future of generic cosmopolitan cities, the characters wander fluorescent mazes of bland malls, murky bars, and faceless hotels, aBlade Runnerfuture without the spectacle. Apart from brief, blurry video-camera surveillance, the entire operation occurs offscreen, reported through conversations and phone calls, and even Ferrara fans may find the murky, dawdling narrative and cerebral conclusion disappointing. But the tech-noir conspiracy gives way to Ferrara's real story, the collision of the dreamers and the shadowy world they live in.--Sean Axmaker』
タイトル『 House of Asia Imports HUK03 Mai 2 light Ambient Floor Lamp, Dark >
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price：
House of Asia Imports
『Manufacturer: House of Asia Imports Style: Pacific Rim Type: Ambient Floor Lamps, Finish: Dark Brown Lining: Cotton Light Bulb: (2)13w Spiral Med CFL Description: Crafted from bamboo and rattan. Round shaped with red cotton lining.』 タイトル『 House of Asia Imports HAD031 Lanta Ambient Floor Lamp, Dark Brown >
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price：
House of Asia Imports
『Manufacturer: House of Asia Imports Style: Contemporary / Modern Type: Ambient Floor Lamps, Finish: Dark Brown Light Bulb: (1)13w Spiral Med CFL Description: Crafted from Water Hyacinth and wrapped around a metal frame.』 タイトル『 Magica Tile - Glazed Porcelain Tile Asia Tile: 4X4 Natural Stone Tile >
price：$7.96
Sony Pictures
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (state of lowness) 『The first xxx movie had a certain charm with it's unnglamerous but likeable super agent engaging in wild stunts. It Had a decent story for that type of fantasy movie and was a decent a budget movie. That can't be said for this one however and Vin Diesel wisely stayed away from this really bad A movie. It has alot of good actors in it who must have gone insane to appear in this flick. If it were a bad b movie you could say: "well that's what you get" but this was a higher budget flick. It has a hero who convinces murderous gnngstas to help him fight evil bad guys by telling them that what's good about this country is that you can still car jack (and kill innocent people) a block away from the capital building! Yes that's the mentality of this movie which aims to please fan's of gangster crap rap.
It has stunts that are silly and weren't meant to be, like a car traveling down railroad tracks and of course it is a perfect fit as the wheels burn away!. Samuel L jackson ,a man of some class, must have had a large house payment due to be in this travesty. And ALMOST every A movie that features rap in it's soundtrack has been a failure, this one also has that hampering it's likeability. The blu ray print is very good but nothing can save this thing that was made by men who worship street thugs; regardless if they kill little kids and destroy their own people with drugs. That's why the hero is a creature of their perverse mindset and nowhere even near anyones but the lowest (gang rap, not other kinds of rap) type of thug reality version of a trained spy or secret agent.』
(XXX: STATE OF THE UNION (BLUE RAY)) 『I OWNED THE DVD AND NOW THE BLU RAY VERSION. THE PICTURE QUALITY IS GREAT AND THE AUDIO DOLBY TRUEHD 5.1 IS EXCELLENT. A MUST HAVE FOR BLU RAY LOVERS.
NON STOP ACTION WITH LOTS OF SHOOTING AND EXPLOSION.』 『Bluray Disc』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Personal Review) 『Great actors, very hot actresses and the story is good, you won't get bored watching it again and again. Can't wait for Part 2 - not sure if it already came out yet.』
(3½ Stars: Sexy, Erotic and Full of Outrageous Comedic Silliness!) 『In the tradition of Chinese cinema's costume sexploitation flicks "Sex and Zen" and "Chinese Torture Chamber" comes an adaptation of a classical 17th century novel called "Jin Pang Mei" (aka. The Plum in the Golden Vase) which is a significant piece of Chinese literature alongside "The Romance of Three Kingdoms". Nope, I am not about to compare this film to the John Woo film, "Red Cliff"--I am just stating its historical literary relevance and that 2008 is a return to classics in Hong Kong cinema. "The Forbidden Legend: Sex and Chopsticks" is a solid entry in the genre of Chinese costume sexploitation and knows exactly what its target audience is. This film isn't your usual sleazy skin film, directed by Chin Man Kei (Sex and Zen 2), this is a wannabe artsy stuff.
Sung Dynasty period. Simon Qing (Lam Wai Kin) is the son of a famed sexologist named Simon Tate (Chui Siu Keung). Upon reaching adulthood, he becomes a handsome, good for nothing womanizer and well endowed. Qing knew about the drugs and techniques that can maximize carnal pleasures. Once he reached the proper age, his father hired a voluptuous harlot, Violetta (curvaceous Kaera Uehara) to teach him the act of lovemaking. Henceforth, Simon embarked upon a life of womanizing. Upon his travels, he meets a virgin nun named Moon (sexy Hikaru Wakana) when Qing was stricken with fever and sought shelter in Moon's nunnery. There, Moon's curiosity was awakened and she was seduced by Qing to abandon her post and be taken home to become his wife. However, after his father passed on, Qing could not be satisfied with one woman. He often has sex with the prettiest women in the region and earned himself a reputation as a playboy. He has sex with the head of a brothel (played by Yui Morikawa) and encounters a young slave girl named Lotus which aroused his curiosity because of her small feet. Years passed, Qing encounters Lotus again (this time played by arousing Serina Hayakawa), she is now a young woman who had reached sexual maturity and much to his dismay, Lotus is married to a repulsive dwarf named Wu Da-Lang (Ng Chi Hung). Qing becomes obsessed with Lotus and plans to have her by hook or by crook..
"Sex and Chopsticks" is a softcore flick full of gratuitous and vigorous sex scenes that even includes some girl on girl action, REAL full frontal female nudity and comedic sequences. It doesn't match up with "Sex and Zen" or "Chinese Torture Chamber" when it comes to artistic quality but it does stand on its own as a flick full of silly dirty humor, martial arts action and decent production values. The film starts out as a comedic "sexual awakening" for our young Simon Qing, as he father teaches him to master his body and mind. Qing masters the techniques of doing push-ups and writing with his male member as well incorporating the mental disciplines of the "Tao of Sex". It was quite intriguing as Qing becomes "oversexed" and he would treat himself in almost every way possible, much of it is exaggerated and meant to amuse the viewer and none of the scenes are offensive. Then once you see Violetta who is played by luscious Japanese AV- actress Kaera Uehara, you will feel a very strong titillating sensation when you see all the full frontal nudity and the film goes into silly comedic overdrive.
I found it quite curious that all the women are played by Japanese AV-idols such as Kaera Uehara, Yui Morikawa, Hikaru Wakana, and Serina Hayakawa in a Hong Kong production. I suppose all the bad publicity that a skin flick would generate was avoided by Chinese actresses but hey, I think this was a blessing in disguise. Without these voluptuously sexy Japanese women, I doubt we would see a lot of full frontal nudity. I also found it quite amusing that aside from Moon, the nunnery's women were all played by young boys and the headmaster is played by an old man. I hardly saw any Chinese actresses except maybe for the occasional passer-bys and Madame Wang who served as Qing's godmother. Also, Yui Morikawa plays dual roles as Qing's mother and a brothel Madame--which is so weird but I suppose this was meant as a very subtle commentary?
The sex scenes are long and very erotic, and rivals the titillation factor of Japanese "Pink films". Lam Wai Kin is a veteran in these types of films and he really looked like he was having a ball with his role. Unlike Chiu Siu Keung (who looked liked he didn't want to touch Morikawa in his only sex scene), Lam Wai Kin looked very comfortable with all the nudity and fornications; and the women really looked like they were really getting into the simulated sex scenes and facial expressions genuinely reflected enjoyment. Familiar prosthetics and tools were used in this flick that I am sure will be recognized. Wires were used in some of the sex scenes as a form of enhancements, dancing and even "combat by sex". These elements will definitely be appreciated by fans of "Sex and Zen". Hey, the film even serves up some sequences of decently choreographed martial arts action.
"The Forbidden Legend: Sex and Chopsticks" isn't a very good movie if you look at it from an artistic standpoint. But if you look at it as a silly caricature of an oversexed playboy, it is a lot of fun to watch and it never gets boring. I found myself snickering quite a number of times with some of silly exaggerated sex scenes. I was a little surprised that the film went for a different tone in the last act and became a disquieting commentary about one's obsession; it lost it's sense of humor and became a commentary on licentious and immoral behavior. I guess Qing's lack of morals were meant to give it some touches of drama but such an approach felt inappropriate here.
Despite its downright silliness, a weak plot and some major flaws in direction (one isn't here to watch it for brilliance), "Sex and Chopsticks" does what it meant to do. It serves up a lot of comedy, dirty humor, and is a great excuse to bring an overabundance of full frontal nudity and very vigorous sex scenes. The film is not to be taken seriously and meant purely for guilty pleasure. Fans of "Hanzo the Razor", "Chinese Torture Chamber" and "Sex and Zen" should definitely give this one a watch. The film is a HOOT but it needed more chopsticks!
price：$11.99
Universal Studios
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (One of the best Zombie Movies to see) 『This is one of those movies that brings me back many times to watch it. There is something about this one that makes it good fun to watch. The lineup is nice and is not over the top. Land of the Dead (Unrated Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]
』
(Surprise Ending!) 『something along the lines of "they're just looking for a place to go, just like everybody else." (one of the final lines of the movie). Couldn't stop laughing. Good movie, very enjoyable!』
(George just knows how to make zombie films.) 『Some people hated this film. Not sure why. Perhaps they think George Romero isn't allowed to make zombie movies with a decent budget. And if he does, it must suck. Well for my money, Land of the Dead is a good movie.
It's well written, well cast and of course expertly directed. The effects are good. The zombies look cool and are intelligent(for a change). And there is of course the familiar Romero social subtext to the plot. All in all it's a good ride and worth an hour and a half of your time if you like zombie movies. If you don't like zombie movies, you're probably not reading this review anyways.』
(No One Does It Better Than Romero...) 『Seriously. He's the father of the zombie genre and this flick proves modern Romero is better than those he inspired. It's got solid acting and moves at quick pace without sacrificing character development or social commentary, something Romero is well known for. In the end it's a very enjoyable zombie film with likable characters, good story and enough scares to satisfy most.』
(good dead movie) 『George romero did a great job with this higher budget zombie flick. On blu ray it even looks better, some of his fans didn't enjoy this one but it is filled with social satire and good old fashioned gore. It is much better than 'day of the dead" in which it's very small budget kept most of the action inside of a bunker, but not as great as the truly classic by any horror fans standards: 'dawn of the dead" or the first and great 'night of the living dead" , still this movie has a fine pacing and good performances from the top notch cast. It's worth getting on blu ray as part of any superior horror dvd collection.』 『Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 09/30/2008 Run time: 97 minutes Rating: Ur』 『Bolstered by the success of28 Days Later,Shaun of the Dead, theResident Evilmovies and the hit remake of his ownDawn of the Dead, George A. Romero returns to the horror subgenre he invented withLand of the Dead. The fourth installment in Romero's zombie cycle (and the first since 1985'sDay of the Dead) presents a logical progression of events since 1968's horror classicNight of the Living Dead: Zombies(also known as "stenches" for their rotting odor) are the dominant population, and they've begun to show signs of undead intelligence and gathering power. The wealthiest survivors live comfortably in a luxury high-rise within a barricaded safe zone, ignoring the horrors of the outside world while armed scavengers stage raids in the zombie-zone to gather much-needed food and supplies. Simon Baker and John Leguizamo play mercenaries-for-hire; Dennis Hopper is their nefarious boss; and horror favorite Asia Argento (daughter ofSuspiriadirector Dario Argento) plays a former hooker recruited into Baker's scavenger squad. While none of this seems particularly fresh or inspired,Land of the Deadbenefits from hints of the social satire that made Romero's earlier zombie films so memorable. Not so much funny as gruesomely peculiar, Romero's plot isn't as inventive as it could've been, but as a big-scale B-movie,Land of the Deaddelivers a handful of shocks and horror-celebrity cameos (including gore-masters Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero) that should keep horror buffs happy until the next zombie opus comes along. --Jeff Shannon』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great Soup) 『This soup is delicious made as directed on the package. The light broth with a hint of lemon juice flavor makes a great bowl of warmth. The hot pepper is in a separate pouch so you can adjust to personal taste. I also like to use this as a base for a meal with added vegetables cooked before adding noodles to the pot and some shrimp added with the noodles. Just before serving stir in some finely sliced fresh basil and garnish with sliced scallions or chives. 』
(Tasty and good) 『This soup i eating in europe,when i dont have time and im so glad i cant buy it here in USA.Specially,when person is sick,this soup is better than chicken soup,make you sweat like you are in hell ;-)』
(Yummy Yum Yum to the last Noodle!) 『MMM, just finishing up a bowl right now. I'm a fan of instant noodles and these noodles pack a punch to be instant, so much flavor. They def out rank Ramen Noodles and Cup of Noodles.』
(awesome!) 『These noodles are by far the tastiest tomyum noodles ive tried. Theyre a bit spicy if you add all the chili powder but they taste fabulous.
I'd go for a 60 pack if it were an option...』 『Instant Noodles Shrimp Tom Yum Flavour.
Here is a dish we eat regularly, Instant Noodles Shrimp Tom Yum Flavour. A spicy hot&sour noodle containing aromatic lemon grass&kaffir lime leaves, and galangal. This Tom Yum recipe has a nice spectrum of tastes and aromas with the red chili oil droplets on top of the soup.
You can jazz up this instant noodle with lots of delicious ingredients. Recommend adding shrimps, Tofu and vegetables to this authentic Thai flavors tasting broth.』
タイトル『 Decorated Mouse Pad with "black and white", pillar, scene, bricks, wall, India, Asia >
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price：$9.95
SHOPZEUS
『Professional "Brite White" fabric mouse pads are among the most versatile and durable, providing brilliant graphic reproduction for spot color or full color imprints. This durable polyester surface is above industry standards and provides a superior product value overall. Designed to reproduce vibrant detailed images. Our mouse pads have white fabric top with the 100% genuine black rubber base (not the cheap foam your seen on other advertisements).』 タイトル『 Decorated Mouse Pad with "black and white", India, historic, architecture, Asia, monument, building >
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price：$9.95
SHOPZEUS
『Professional "Brite White" fabric mouse pads are among the most versatile and durable, providing brilliant graphic reproduction for spot color or full color imprints. This durable polyester surface is above industry standards and provides a superior product value overall. Designed to reproduce vibrant detailed images. Our mouse pads have white fabric top with the 100% genuine black rubber base (not the cheap foam your seen on other advertisements).』 タイトル『 Decorated Mouse Pad with "black and white", religion, Japan, sculpture, symbol, sign, Buddha, emblem, statue, Asia >
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Trekking and Climbing in Nepal) 『The description of this book was mis-represented to me. I searched for books containing 3D photos or photography. The description allowed this book contained the same.
IT DID NOT!
It is an excellent book for its intended genre and is a nice addition to your coffee table or guest shelf if interested in the genre.』
(Beautiful Book) 『This is a beautiful book with lots of nice, colourful pictures of the Nepal Himalayas. Almost every single trek that I know of, from Humla, Mustang to Dolpo, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri Circuit and Kachenjunga is mentioned. Even the trekking peaks are covered. Of course, the usual areas like Everest, Annapurna and Langtang are also covered.
Every trek that is being described comes with a box telling you the duration, access, highest point, trek style (whether camping is required), restrictions/permits and sidetrips. In between the treks, there are also information on Nepalese culture and traditions.
However, if you think that all this is too much for a small, glossy book like this, then you're right. I find the info on some treks quite sketchy. You'll probably need additional references if you're going into a restricted area. Another problem is that this book looks more like coffeetable book than a rugged reference to be brought into the outdoors. I would hesitate to bring it on my trips.』
(Preparing and Enjoying Your Trekking and Climbing in Nepal) 『I have purchased just about all of the trekking guides, including descriptions of trekking peaks, that are available for Nepal, but always felt that they lacked a little something. This book has the little something that makes it better than most of the trekking guides. It combines essential trekking information for major treks along with great descriptions of climbing routes all written compactfully in one easy to manage book. It is thorough, well-written and very complete. It not only describes the trek or climb, but also provides a good brief history, alternatives, good graphics and a great strip maps which provide altitude, time, distance charts which I find very helpful. It's well written and has good maps and a lot of useful information in charts as well as text. The photos are excellent and both beautiful and useful. Overall, I found this to be the most useful single trekking guide and began to use it immediately.』 『BOOK, TREKKING AND CLIMBING IN NEPAL』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (WMP55AG review) 『I am a third line commercial network administrator and my cousin asked me to come over and install the wmp55ag card after it had stopped working. Apparently she thought some update had disabled it. I spent at least two hours trying to get the thing working with an 802.11b network downstairs which it refused to associate with although it said it could on the box. I could see all the networks in the area but could not get an ip address or connect to any of them even though the one I needed to connect to was unsecured. I uninstalled the linksys software and tried using windows to control the card, still nada. In my opinion the card is a waste of time and money, or the one I had was broken after three weeks of use.』
(Awesome Wireless Solution) 『This card was very easy to install and setup. Just follow the easy instructions! It makes me laugh at some people who think it's the technology's fault for it not working. If you just took the time to actually read the directions you might get it to work. This product works great on the 802.11a band on my Linksys Wireless Dual-Band A+G Router.』
(Inconsistent Connection) 『Bottom line, did not live up to expectations and price. Kept getting disconnected and did not get good signal when compared to other Linksys wireless devices I have (PCMCIA Card and Wireless USB Network Adapter). I am a big fan of Linksys, but I would pass on this device.』
(Wireless on the Desktop) 『I just recently move from dial-up to DSL. Going DSL was not enough; I did not want to have cables running though the house so I started looking into going wireless. To make a long story short, after a little investigation I decided to make the leap into wireless technology. I purchased the WAP55AG router and the adapter cards, WMP55AG and WPC55AG.
Once the WAP55AG router was installed and set up, the installation of the WMP55AG PCI Adapter on each of the desktops were simple.
I had no difficulty setting up the hardware and software and with a few hours, I was on the net through the router. One desktop is running XP professional and the other desktops are running XP Home edition.
The LinkSys Web site has all the documentation you need for installation and setup. There is a "Knowledge Base" page that covers a lot of the products and answers to a lot of questions about various products and configurations; I found it to be very helpful.
Pulled from LinkSys Web Site: ---------------------------------------- The Linksys Dual-Band Wireless A+G PCI Adapter installs in most desktops and lets you put your computer almost anywhere in the building, without the cost and hassle of running network cables. Now you don't have to drill holes in your walls and climb through the attic or cellar to get connected to the network. Once you're connected, you can keep in touch with your e-mail; access the Internet, use instant messaging to chat with friends, and share files and other resources such as printers and network storage with other computers on the network.
The Dual-Band Wireless A+G PCI Adapter connects you with Wireless-A (802.11a) and Wireless-G (draft 802.11g) networks at an incredible 54Mbps! And for added versatility, it can also interoperate with all the 11Mbps Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless hotspots around the country. And whichever mode you choose, your wireless communications are protected by up to 152-bit encryption, so your data stays secure.
Features of the product: -------------------------------- One adapter connects to either 2.4 GHz (802.11b or draft 802.11g) or 5 GHz (802.11a) networks Advanced security features with up to 152-Bit WEP encryption Detailed monitoring and performance utility IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b and draft 802.11g compliant
System Requirements (Minimum): --------------------------------------------- 200MHz of Faster Processor 64MB RAM Available PCI Slot CD-ROM Drive Windows 98SE, Me, 2000 or XP』
(poor) 『first off, i am a fairly seasoned network administrator. I recently began using wireless at my home, with a d-link extreme-g access point and one of the machines using a d-link 802.11g card. All was fine. I decided to add 802 support to an additional pc but wanted something more flexible (as i move around) so i choose this linksys A+G card. . .
*after* the product arrives, i noticed on the box it says Draft 802.11g support, however amazon.com advertised it as regular 802.11g support.
After a blue-screen hangup (in winXP SP1), a download of some new drivers from linksys, and about 3 hours of trying every possible setting there is, the linksys product did not work.
My access point has the latest firmware, and at least one other client here at home (using a d-link card) can connect just fine. I figure this card does not work because it (now that i realize) only supports the Draft 802.11g standard, however my access point also supports 802.11b which this card is supposed to support as well?
Bottom line, this product was no good.』 『The Linksys Dual-Band Wireless A+G PCI Adapter installs in most desktops and lets you put your computer almost anywhere in the building, without the cost and hassle of running network cables. Now you don't have to drill holes in your walls and climb through the attic or cellar to get connected to the network. Once you're connected, you can keep in touch with your e-mail, access the Internet, use instant messaging to chat with friends, and share files and other resources such as printers and network storage with other computers on the network.The Dual-Band Wireless A+G PCI Adapter connects you with Wireless-A (802.11a) and Wireless-G (draft 802.11g) networks at an incredible 54Mbps! And for added versatility, it can also interoperate with all the 11Mbps Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless hotspots around the country. And whichever mode you choose, your wireless communications are protected by up to 152-bit encryption, so your data stays secure.So don't hassle with running cables through your house - get your desktop connected the easy way with the versatile Linksys Dual-Band Wireless A+G PCI Adapter.』 『Amazon.com Product Description The Linksys Dual-Band Wireless A+G PCI Adapter installs in most desktops and lets you put your computer almost any-where in the building, without the cour walls and climb through the attic or cellar to get connected to the network.Once you're connected, you can keep in touch with your e-mail; access the Internces such as printers and network storage with other computers on the network.
The Dual-Band Wireless A+G PCI Adapter connects you with Wireless-A (802.11a) and Wireless-G (802.11g) networks at an incredible 54 Mbps and for added versatility, it can also interoperate with all the 11 Mbps Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless "hotspots" around the country. And whichever mode you choose, your wireless communications are protected by up to 152-bit encryption, so your data stays secure.
The Dual-Band Wireless A+G PCI Adapter connects you with Wireless-A (802.11a) and Wireless-G (802.11g) networks at an incredible 54 Mbps, and for added versatility, it can also interoperate with all the 11 Mbps Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless "hotspots" around the country. And whichever mode you choose, your wireless communications are protected by up to 152-bit encryption, so your data stays secure.
See a comparison diagram of the different wireless technologies.
Wireless networks are rapidly becoming more popular and coming down in price. Since they don't require cables, you can use the devices anywhere in an office or home, even out on the patio. There's no need to roll out an Ethernet network cable to each room of a house; you can network anywhere -- without wires. Outside of the home, wireless networking is available in hotspots at coffee shops, businesses, airports -- great when you're on the road and need to get some work done. For convenience, wireless networking is the answer.
What Wireless Standard is Right for Me? Now that you've decided to create a wireless network, the next step is to figure out which wireless standard to use.
Basically, a standard is a set of specifications for a device. All devices that follow a specific standard share operating characteristics, such as the radio frequency used and maximum data transfer speed.
For wireless networking, there are three standards to choose from at this time:
802.11b
802.11a
802.11g
To learn about the differences between the standards and select the right one for your network, click here for an easy-to-understand chart.
『VTM 150 UK - Laptop Power Supply» Step down grounded transformer with a UK Plug.
» Maximum capacity: 150 Watts.
» Converts 220/240V down to 110/120V.
» On/Off Switch
» Fuse Protected.
» Ideal for laptops, Camera batteries, phone chargers, shavers etc. to be used in England, Hong Kong, and countries that use a D-type plug.Weight: 3 lbs.
Dimensions: 4.5" x 2.8" x 2.8"』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (These ducks are a happy set.) 『I bought these on a lark. They are adorable. They fit in your palm. I am keeping most of them, but I have given some away too. They bring a smile to everyone. I am ordering more.』 『Imagine the fun kids and adults will have with these great ducky theme party favors. Use them as decorations on your hors d'oeuvre table and let each guest take one home. You'll receive 12 total. They don't squeak, but they do have a tiny hole in their beak for squirting water. These make great party favors, use as cake toppers, or just fun to play with. Each measures approx 2" x 2". Please note, these do not float upright.』
タイトル『 Go Game Game Board Carrying Sleeve 1.2'' (3.0cm) >
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price：$7.99
Yellow Mountain Imports
『A high quality Go board deserves high quality protection between games. Slip your Go board into this thick and sturdy soft felt sleeve with Velcro seal and your Go board will be protected from nicks, scratches, and dust.』 タイトル『 Wild Republic Natural Poses Asian Elephant >
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price：$2.32
Wild Republic
Usually ships in 24 hours 『WeÌre busy adding products and product descriptions. A description hasnÌt been added to this product yet, but itÌs coming very soon. If you have any questions, please visit our Help section. You may also click here to contact us or click the chat live banner in the left column of this page.
Our products are made by top manufacturers who care about toy safety, quality and value. Your order will ship factory fresh directly from our warehouse to your door. We carefully inspect and beautifully package every order before shipment to ensure that you receive high quality products that are delivered accurately every time you order.
We want you to be completely satisfied with your order. We stand behind every product we sell with a full money back guarantee. If youÌre not completely satisfied with your purchase, simply complete an RMA request to return it us for a refund of your purchase price (less shipping and restock fee). See our return policy page for complete details.』 タイトル『 SM CHR SKULL W/GREEN EYE >
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price：$4.95
ASIA SURGE ENT. CO. LTD.
『SM CHR SKULL W/GREEN EYE』 タイトル『 C WINGED CNT FIL OIL TANK >
『Pepe Jeans Asia - Pepe Jeans Women's Shoes : Streamlined silhouette with detailed stitching to match. ; All leather upper. ; Perforated toe for ventilation. ; Multiple colors and widths of stitching. ; Metallic Pepe Jeans logo. ; durable rubber outsole.. Product Type: Pepe Jeans Women's Shoes.』 タイトル『 Pepe Jeans Asia | Women's Shoes White/Red X >
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price：
Pepe Jeans
『Pepe Jeans Asia - Pepe Jeans Women's Shoes : Streamlined silhouette with detailed stitching to match. ; All leather upper. ; Perforated toe for ventilation. ; Multiple colors and widths of stitching. ; Metallic Pepe Jeans logo. ; durable rubber outsole.. Product Type: Pepe Jeans Women's Shoes.』 タイトル『 rsvp Asia ZP101 >
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rsvp
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DK Travel
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Interesting book) 『A must read for those who are interested in learning about Jerusalem and Israel in general.』
(Good Job for the Holy Land) 『"Jerusalem" and the Holy Land" was a great help to me while on my recent Sabbatical. It was small enough to carry and yet informative enough to be worth carrying. However, since I was visiting 5 countries, I made a habit of leaving each guide book to lighten my load as I was picking up other items along the way. I bought this one to replace the original and couldn't have been happier to receive it on time and in great condition. It helped me remember places and stories and, more importantly, label my photos.』
(Jerusalem and the Holy Land) 『A great travel guide full of beautiful pictures. The most informative I have found for the Holy Land. Includes great details about Petra.』
(Good Guide) 『Have used Eyewitness guide books before and always happy with them. It has concise information that is easy to follow. Not in great depth, but that wasn't what I was looking for. This is the book I prefer. I, too, was a little put off with their reluctance to refer to Israel. They usually just default to "the Holy Land".』
(Jerusalem Guide) 『Comprehensive coverage of Jerusalem, Israel and neighboring countries such as Jordan (Petra). Very well written and presented』
price：$5.12
Harper Perennial
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (An Intellectual Giant) 『This is an easy to read and very accessible introduction to the life and work of a great polymath of the twentieth century Joseph Needham. Needham having trained as a biologist and achieving recognition in that field re-invented himself as a Sinologist. It was in his adopted discipline (in which he had no formal training) that Needham became most well known. Over several decades and with the assistance of Chinese colleagues, he produced his opus magnum "Science and Civilisation in China". His work represented the product of trawling through masses of documents and other evidence from China and cataloguing the vast array of scientific and technological achievement from the earliest times through to the Ming. The object of Needham's work was to restore to the West's grand narrative of history the enormous contribution of China to the world's science and technology, a contribution that during the nineteenth and early twentieth century had been forgotten or airbrushed out of the narrative. A catalogue of those contributions are set out in the Annex to Winchester's book and include gunpowder, the compass, the printed book, moveable type, paper, paper money, mechanical clocks and canal locks.
Needham's engagement with China began with an intimate relationship with a Chinese post-graduate student who remained his lifelong companion. His wife tolerated the relationship and Needham remained with his wife in an "open marriage" until her death. Needham reached China as a British diplomat in 1943 where his serious research on China began ending in his re-invention as a Sinologist. His discovery of China begins with an epic journey through the heart of China accompanied by danger and meetings with larger than life characters. Winchester brings to life that journey in his easy prose that has the excitement of a Tintin story. Needham eventually returned to Cambridge where he commenced his work that spanned several decades. His work received early acclaim not just in Britain and China but as far afield as the USSR, Germany, India and Sri Lanka.
Needham's efforts in restoring to the narrative the Chinese contribution to world science were deeply appreciated by the Chinese government. He became a friend of Zhou En Lai and also knew Chairman Mao. His career and reputation however received a serious but temporary setback when he sat on a committee to investigate allegations of biological warfare suspected to have been waged by the USA during the Korean War. He concluded that the allegations were well founded. As a result , Needham was severely criticised in the US and in Britain. It later transpired that the evidence of biological warfare observed by Needham and his colleagues had been planted by the PRC government with Soviet help. Needham had been duped and used. Nevertheless, Needham remained supportive of the PRC throughout. The anger of the Americans towards Needham remained unabated for a long time. They eventually relented and lifted a ban on his entry into the US in the seventies.
Winchester's book also provided interesting and sometimes entertaining insights into university life at the Cambridge college of which Needham was a fellow. Needham was an eccentric. Apart from his work in biology and Chinese studies, Needham was also a socialist, a Christian, a chain smoker, Morris dancer and nudist. Winchester brings back to life a lost period when eccentrics such as Needham were tolerated and indeed thrived in British universities in contrast to the more straight laced times of today.
Winchester's book does not examine scholarly criticism on Needham's work. Winchester largely described Needham's work and conclusions without going further. Needham's work has been criticised for overemphasising Chinese contributions to world science and technology. Stirrups for example are claimed as a Chinese invention. However, there is evidence for earlier use of stirrups in India and Central Asia. Many things Needham found may be first recorded in Chinese books which Needham substantially relied on. This does not necessarily mean that the thing recorded is a Chinese invention. If something is invented elsewhere but not recorded by the inventors, its later adoption and recording by China does not make it a Chinese invention. The "hard" evidence supplied by archaeology in this respect may be more reliable than the written record. Needham may also view China through rose tinted glasses as a friendly foreigner captivated by another country often does. This is also often seen in Western scholars' writings about India.
Needham's buy-in to the idea of Chinese exceptionalism in terms of their role as inventors and scientific thinkers may also be questionable. Their achievements were and remain great. No exaggeration is required to highlight the magnitude of the Chinese achievement. However, Indians, Iraqis, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, Islam and of course Western Europeans even before 1500 all have a long an old tradition of science and thinking that deserves similar recognition.
Winchester's discussion of the famous "Needham question" could also go further . That question briefly which Needham spent his lifetime addressing but never really answered was why China after such a long period of leadership in science and technology stopped about the fifteenth century and was overtaken by Western Europe. Winchester simply leaves it on the basis that China all of a sudden dropped the ball - and left the field to Europe. Contemporary scholarship however would disagree. The Qing did not in fact drop the ball and achieved much. During their rule, China expanded enormously and according to scholars such as Frank (" Reorient") maintained Chinese pre-eminence into the nineteenth century (see also Bin Wong "China Transformed and Pomeranz "The Great Divergence"). Benjamin Ellman's book "On Their Own Terms: Science in China, 1550-1900" sets out the broad contours of the development of science in China right until the end of imperial times. China not only did not drop the ball but kept at it. What happened was that Europe in the end travelled faster, and then overtook and overwhelmed China . The real question might be better framed as to why the West rose. There is of course a vast amount written on the subject. While there may be differences in view on some things, a common theme in the answer is the "free kick" Western Europeans received through colonising the Americas, not only in terms of the silver they extracted from Peru to make them very rich but also in the land and resources they appropriated, allowing them with this huge new found wealth to outdo the Ottomans, Mughals in India and eventually the Chinese. The efforts of scholars such as Frank, James Blaut and Jack Goody covering this subject may render the Needham question redundant.
Needham also emphases inventiveness as a key capability. However, what may be equally if not more important is the ability to assimilate and deploy technology regardless of its origin. Chinese tungs or hand led guns are very similar to the derivatives in Europe used in the fourteenth century. However, the Europeans were very successful in assimilating and making their own the Chinese technology in question and becoming leaders. Chinese inventiveness therefore was in the end less important than the ability of Europeans to use their inventions and outdo the Chinese. Similarly, the British later on were able to assimilate and domesticate textile technology from India and in the end outdo India through the application of steam power to textile production. Today, the shoe may be on the other foot. It is Westerners who may (still) be the most inventive people in the world but it is the ability of China (and India) to adopt and apply Western industrial technology and deploy it on a vast scale that is the story of our times. Despite the origins of the technology in the West, it is the successful imitators who in the end may have the day. Needham's question on why the Chinese were so inventive in past times may be recast more meaningfully for our own times with the question " Why are the Chinese so good at adopting and domesticating complex technology that is not their own"? China is also beginning to see the fruits of its large R&D spend with its own groundbreaking research. Working out the rice genome is a good example. That these developments occur against the context of a decline of Marxist-Leninism in China and a return of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism should finally set at rest the old theories about the alleged backwardness of the older Chinese ways of thinking. One equally hopes that China's success does not encourage arguments for Chinese cultural superiority (one sees this already in some form) as a reply to equivalent ways of thinking that dominated the Western intellectual landscape until quite recently. Needham' s work employed for such a purpose would be a sad end to his life and work - and this may be happening to a limited extent already as an internet search of the blogosphere would indicate.
Even if the Needham question as he posed may no longer be of much interest, this does not derogate from Needham's scholarly achievement. That achievement is the compilation of a vast encyclopaedia of Chinese scientific and technological achievement over millennia. No such work exists to my knowledge that covers in a similar way Islamic, Indian or Western achievements. Perhaps, these are tasks waiting for someone in the future.
Needham's admiring writings about China even if sometimes overstated are politically important. It is noteworthy that Needham produced his work at a time of Britain's imperial decline. Had he written a work fifty years previously expounding the greatness of China, the reception might have been different. This was at a time when Britain as at its imperial peak and negativity towards China in the West was high. China was in decline at the time and Chinese do not of course forget Britain's role in that decline as any visitor to the Summer Palace in Beijing learns quickly. In a strange kind of way, Needham in trying to set the record straight and going a little overboard in doing this, offers to the Chinese whether knowingly or not a form of ideological reparations which the Chinese appear to have accepted in their appreciation of his work. The admiring writings on ancient India by another English scholar of the era, AL Basham - and the Indian reception of his work are in this regard comparable.
Needham's importance as a bridge between the West and China is recognised by Winchester. Britain's imperial engagement with China was unhappy to say the least. However, relations between the PRC and Britain after 1949 were generally good and travelled down a relatively smooth trajectory. By contrast, after Britain quit America in 1776, the enmity between the two countries lasted for more than a century. The efforts of Needham and others like him may have had something to do with this happier outcome for Anglo-Chinese relations.
Winchester's book despite the need for further analytical depth is a welcome contribution to contemporary books on China and reminds us of a great polymath who was able to straddle many areas. Such a breed is now rare if not extinct in a time when what is valued is depth of specialist expertise in a particular area rather than breath of knowledge across many areas. Winchester's book reminds us of an era when an intellectual could and did credibly straddle multiple areas of expertise.
』
(The "Needham" Question) 『Being an ethnic Chinese myself, I have always been interested in the "Needham Question", the question why China, with its demonstrated prowess in invention over the millenia fell behind the West in the last couple of centuries. To quote directly from "The Man who loved China":
"The Chinese of the distant past - the ancient Chinese who lived before Europe's Christian era, the old Chinese living when Europe had its Dark Ages, and the medieval Chinese en masse of the twelfth and thirteenth century, when the Renaissance was fully under way in Europe, the creative passions of China suddenly seemed to dry up; the energy began to ebb away and die." (p. 259)
To me, this question seemed to have partly been answered by Needham himself, and again I quote from the book "The Man who loved China":
"Needham was ready to acknowledge that, however long and impressive this list of first sight be, the items and ideas on it did not necessarily constitute either science or civilization, but merely hinted at creative ferment whithin Chinese society. But what a ferment!" (p. 188)
I think the answer to the Needham's question lies in the motto of thr Royal Society, the premier scientific society formed in England in the 17th century, and of which Josehp Needham was made a fellow. The motto is, "Nullius in Verba" loosely translated as "Rely on the words of no one." Europe before the Age of Enlightenment, the intellectual climate was dominted by the Church and on the "infallible words" of the ancients - the Age of Scholasticism. Only with the Age of Enlightement, when the authorities' ideas were allowed to be challenged, did real science advance. The scientific method of Francis Bacon began to make inroads.
In China, that never happened. Books and authorities were not to be challenged. Ossification of the mind was guaranteed with the Imperial examination system. At the technical, workman level, innovations could come about because they made life easier. But basic challenge to the understanding of the universe was not something to be encouraged.
Science consists of a contitunous process of challenging previous theories, consists of the collection of data, forming hypothesis resulting from those data, and challenging that hypothesis with more new data. Often times, the intellectual curiosity will not result in any practical use for decades. The Chinese were interested in very practical solutions to the problems they are facing.
This book is fascinating in that it documents the life of a great intellect and his contribution to the udnerstanding of a great civilization.』
(Ho hum, what's the fuss?) 『Joseph Needham (1900-1995) studied chemistry at Cambridge. In 1924 he married Dorothy Moyle (1895-1987), whose one book was on the movement of muscles (1976). He taught at Cambridge and met the Chinese woman Lu Gwei-djen (1904-1991) who became his life long mistress in 1938. According to Winchester Dorothy approved of the situation, but we don't have any of her words about it. Through Lu Needham became interested in things Chinese and learnt to speak and write the language. In 1942-1946 he was a diplomat in China and became interested in early Chinese inventions. He took trips to collect material which he sent back to England. In 1948 he returned to Cambridge ,with his mistress living nearby, and wrote 17 volumes entitled `Science and Civilisation in China,' a work still in progress. He brought to the world's attention the fact that China made many important discoveries and inventions long before the West. In 1952 Needham, a `committed socialist' and communist sympathiser, was duped by the Soviets and Chinese into accepting and promoting the false notion that the US used biological weapons in the Korean War. Winchester lamely tries to exonerated Needham. His reputation was severely damaged, but revived as his tomes appeared. In 1989 he married Lu and after she died he wrote in turn to three women asking them to marry him, but they declined. Winchester overpraises Needham, showing a lack of objectivity. To Winchester, even little things Needham did are imbued with genius. For example, there was the occasion when Needham performed an impromptu morris dance, singing lustily, before some Chinese schoolboys. Winchester comments, `To all who saw his performance that August evening the image of morris dancing in China remained profoundly haunting. It left the schoolboys open-mouthed with astonished and, Needham later assumed immodestly, delight.' Over the top comments are common.Needhams' walk from his home to the university was 'fantastically pretty.' Winchester's words , not Needham's.』
(Fascinating, insightful, and wholly enjoyable.) 『Joseph Needham was a unique individual: A Cambridge scholar, a nudist, a die-hard liberal (and unofficial Communist), a happily married man flagrantly seeing a woman on the side...and a lover of China. It is this latter attribute that has cemented his role in history: he is the man who, almost single-handedly, updated the world's understanding of Chinese culture. What was once thought a backward nation was transformed into a leader of scientific thought. At the forefront of this movement was a tall, lanky, bespectacled figure who risked his reputation and life in order to bring to the world an accurate portrait of Chinese culture.
Simon Winchester has written yet another engrossing "general interest" piece for the non-academic. His prose in engaging, witty, and insightful; along the way you'll pick up little factoids (such as the origin of the phrase "gung ho"), but the most interesting subject here is Needham himself. Winchester brings the scholar to vivid life, creating an three-dimensional portrait of a man who's name has, unfortunately, been lost to general knowledge. You may wonder why you should care about THE MAN WHO LOVED CHINA; but after reading it, you'll wonder who in their right minds WOULDN'T care? This is a compelling, fascinating account of a man who enriched the knowledge of the world, simply by doing what he loved: exploring a misunderstood culture.』
(Disappointing) 『I found this book to be a bit odd: it's a popular/mass-market biography written on a fairly obscure person which never really explains why readers should care about the guy. The book is focused on Needham's unusual, but not terribly interesting, personal life and there's surprisingly little coverage of his scholarship. The final structure, themes and conclusions of 'Science and Civilisation in China' are never really explained, and nor is the process by which the books were actually researched and written (readers are breezily informed that Needham used a lot of old references to find out when things first appeared in China - how he conducted this analysis and wrote about it isn't explained). Moreover, the book is marred by a lot of annoying small errors which should have been caught by its editor and act to reduce its credibility.』 『
In sumptuous and illuminating detail, Simon Winchester, bestselling author ofThe Professor and the Madman, brings to life the extraordinary story of Joseph Needhamâthe brilliant Cambridge scientist, freethinking intellectual, and practicing nudist who unlocked the most closely held secrets of China, once the world's most technologically advanced country.
price：$5.74
Da Capo Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Outstanding History of Afghan Warfare) 『While this book does not equal the breadth and fluidity achieved by Ahmed Rashid in "Descent Into Chaos," it nevertheless manages to fully convey the difficulties army commanders from Alexander the Great to Gen. McChrystal have faced and will apparently continue to face in the country of Afghanistan.
A sobering tale of seemingly eternal tribal difficulties and the issue faced with maintaining the peace after a seemingly easy invasion.
Definitely a must read for anyone interested in Afghanistan and the ongoing War on Terror.』
(Too much emphasis on external wars and not enough on internal strife) 『I would have to agree with the negative reviews here and state that too much emphasis on external wars and basically nothing on internal civil wars. Everything in this book is blamed on external pressures: British, Greek, American to a degree that Tanner portrays the Afghanis as basic play doh that has no real mind of their own. I really this is a very biased and prejudiced view -- treating the Afghanis with the attitude that only the "white European" can save them from the confluence of events. Instead I would either the revelant journalism of Ahmed Rashid's Descent into Chaos or the more academic style of R. D. Crews and Amin Tarzi, The Taliban and the the Crisis of Afghanistan and avoid this long hard slog through "Afghani history".』
(Graveyard of Armies) 『Seems history in Afghanistan tends to repeat itself from time to time. First Alexander the Great tried to subdue the proud Iranian and Scythian warriors in a bloody and inconclusive campaign and had to settle for a compromise solution before getting out of the place to start his conquest of India, after many centuries of bloody wars and conquest by the most fearsome eastern empires including the Persians, the Mongols, the Mughals, the Turks and the Sihks then came the British Empire who lost an army and later after a bloody war had to settle for less than victory in a compromise solution before abandoning the land, then came the Soviets with overwhelming force fighting hard without regards for human rights and depopulating the country to deny a base of operations to the Mujahadeen warriors, they also had to leave without obtaining a complete victory and now the American and Nato armies are inbroiled in the same kind of hit and run warfare and without obtaining a conclusive victory. Seems the great powers are always able to take the country, the major cities and the valleys but they can never subdue the mountain tribes. The Pashtuns are the hardiest of these tribes and are located not only in Afghanistan but also in Pakistan, these fierce warriors have embrased the Taliban cause and seems they will endure and when the last NATO soldier leaves they will rise again to take the country, they have time on their side, while the Western powers are always pressed for a fast and easy victory and are quick to retire when negative public opinion starts to hurt the present regimes the Pashtuns will endure.
After reading this very interesting history I don't see a clear victory for the west in Afghanistan, there will not be a winning of hearts and minds, for the West to obtain a victory there will be very unlikely as the US and NATO will have to resort to practices that are abhorrent in their societies such as genocide (as the Soviets did) and erradication of Pashtun tribal ways and customs that goes against the inclusion and diversity practices defended by the West. The situaction is almost a catch 22 you need to rebuilt the country in order to provide jobs and order but in order to do that you first have to erradicate violence which entails a victory against the Taliban. Is depressing to see that Western good intentions will come to nothing and someday a new generation of even more intollerant and violent breed of Pashtun Talibans will again hold Afghanistan in its clutches. Some lands were born to suffer.』
(Sloppy scholarship that comes to no real answers) 『This is a very poorly written book and looking at all the reviews on it I would have never realised it. Tanner gives a long and very boring review of every battle and skirmish on Afghan land as though somehow, someway all of this is pertinent to understanding the "Afghani point of view", ignoring all the while 1) there has been no industry in the area since the Silk Road in the 14th century 2) and the major export is poppy. The first comment he barely touches on and the second he totally ignored. The fact that there is no industry, i.e. work, in a lot of these terrorist countries, is why the native people, are either leaving en masse for Western countries or joining the terrorists: because in each cases either route supplies more food and sustenance than they would in their native land.
I would recommend ignoring this book and instead reading Gretchen Peters, Seeds of Terror, to truly understand why the Talieban wants Afghanistan and how it is used the poppy trade to curry favour and underwrite its war with the West this book talks in its finale about "nation building" when one has to wonder exactly what nation there is there, sans all the terrorists, there is to build. Another good book is the Lackawanna Six, which also discusses the problems in the Middle East, this time as it affects the Omanis -- Tanners recital of "Afghan history" is best left to the encyclopaedia and lazy Sunday afternoons.』
(Unenlightened View of Military Violence and its Futility) 『Mr. Tanner tends to repeat the details of battle with an unenlightened attitude that allows him, all too often, to glorify battle and its associated carnage and death. While a careful and reasoned reading of the tragedy and gore represented by the exploits of Alexander the Great makes the folly of war clear, the author of "Afghanistan - A Military History" never seems to see that himself, or be aware of the inappropriateness of his glorification of war. His point of view seems dated.
I have only read the first couple of chapters, and with the way in which the topics are presented in a pro militaristic way, I may not finish the book.
I commend the depth of research, but the author also tends to speculate too much, drawing his own conclusions that sometimes seem less than fully substantiated by the evidence cited.』 『
For over 2,500 years, the forbidding territory of Afghanistan has served as a vital crossroads for armies and has witnessed history-shaping clashes between civilizations: Greek, Arab, Mongol, and Tartar, and, in more recent times, British, Russian, and American. When U.S. troops entered Afghanistan in the weeks following September 11, 2001, they overthrew the Afghan Taliban regime and sent the terrorists it harbored on the run. But Americaâs initial easy victory is in sharp contrast to the difficulties it faces today in confronting the Taliban resurgence.
Originally published in 2002, Stephen TannerâsAfghanistanhas now been completely updated to include the crucial turn of events since America first entered the country.
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