Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great so far!) 『These pea plants have come up very nicely so far (three weeks) and I love to see them grow from day to day! I will update my review when there is some yield to taste test, but so far they have grown very well for me!』
(sugar snap peas) 『Peas did not come up good...only several plants came up...not sure why... but was dissapointed in them... may have been too late in the season...will try again next year...』 『
*FREE SHIPPING&HANDLING ON ANY ADDITIONAL PACKS OF SEEDMART SEEDS PURCHASED WITHIN 7 DAYS and PAID WITH ONE PAYMENT!
Representing a new generation of garden peas, Sugar Snap is a winner of the prestigious All America Selections Gold Metal. Crisp, crunchy, and delicious, it's eaten whole - pods and peas - when the pods are plump and round. Serve fresh in salads, with dip, stir fried or steamed. Good for freezing. Grows best in cool weather. 65-70 days to maturity.』
FREE SHIPPING&HANDLING ON ANY ADDITIONAL PACKS OF SEEDMART SEEDS PURCHASED WITHIN 7 DAYS and PAID WITH ONE PAYMENT!
Genovese Sweet Basil Ocimum basilicum 14-20 in.
Perfect for pesto because of its concentrated flavor, the medium-large leaves have a fine, sweet fragrance. Spicy, edible flowers accent a salad. Tall, relatively uniform, slow to bolt. Sow 1-2 seeds per inch in garden when danger of frost has passed, or start indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost date. Requires warm conditions for germination and growth. Basils are very susceptible to cold soil and frosts. Harvesting tips. Pinch off flower heads to keep productive. Harvest leaves during season, entire plant first frost.
Planting Depth: 1/4"-1/2" Soil Temp. for Germ.: 70-90 degrees F Days to Germ.: 6-12 Plant Spacing: 8"-12" Days to Maturity: 65-75 Full Sun to Part Shade Moderate Water
price：$3.05
Carter's
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (looked at several discount and department stores) 『It took me several weeks after my baby girl was born to find the baby book that I liked and once I finally found it I couldn't find the matching photo album anywhere. Once I searched online I found it on Amazon.com for the best price. It's very girlie and cute!』
(Very pretty!!! Limited versatility.) 『Great product! My only complaint is that there are pockets that only hold a certain size photo. For example, this album will not hold 5x7's.』
(Cute, cute!) 『I got this as a babyshower gift and really love it. BUT let's be realistic here, how many of these cute little photo albums are we going to need? I wish they made such adorable albums that can hold a HUGE amount of photos. My little girl is only 4 months and we have a total of 732 photos of her...』
(It Delivers!) 『This album and the matching record book deliver all that they promise. I bought it for my daughter, who is about to give birth to my first grandchild, and she absolutely loves it! And, the colors and patterns even match the nursery! As a added bonus, someone gave me the matching brag book. They're great!』
(Photo album) 『I'm very happy with the quality and the apperance of the photo album. Very impressed.』 『Preserve your babys first photos with this large Sweet Baby Girl Photo Album from Carters? which showcases a fun pink cover with complimenting pink and white striped linen.』
price：$0.99
Giant Records / Wea
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Warning: This is mainly a meta-review but I feel moved to write this) 『 To me it is quite appropriate to draw analogies between AMERICN GRAFFITI and DAZED AND CONFUSED. They both dealt with post-adolescent youth. They both were very time-specific in dress, speech and habits. And they both have wonderful albums based on the songs they used. GRAFFITI used the device of an "Oldies Weekend" to include rock'n'roll songs as early as 1955 ("Rock Around the Clock") to songs contemporaneous (or very close) with the film's time-setting in 1962 (early Beach Boys). DAZED AND CONFUSED is specific to the mid-Seventies.
I wish there were more songs on the D.A.C. album but at least there's a follow-up CD. I remember what I was doing when I first heard ROCK AND ROLL HOOTCHIE COO. That does not automatically make it a classic song but IMO some of the songs on this CD are classic, or becoming classics, much like the GRAFFITI songbook. Younger people who are interested in Seventies pop/rock music could do a lot worse than listen. So enjoy! Download, buy the CD, whatever. I recommend either method.
』
(Great Collection of Classic Music) 『As much as I loved the movie, I love the soundtrack. With such great songs as "Stranglehold" by Ted Nugent and "Tush" by ZZ Top, how could you not enjoy this cd?! Great mix of rock and roll and even a few songs on the lighter side, like "Tuesday's Gone". If you've ever watched this movie and at any point through out the movie found yourself at least nodding along to the music playing in the background like I did, then this soundtrack is a MUST!!!』
(I just am speachless!) 『For what it is worth, I cannot believe a compilation like this exists...Every song jams and the movie even lives up the soundtrack! Get it !!!!!!!!』
(An Excellent Soundtrack For An Excellent Film/Decade) 『I was born in 1976, so I didn't really grow up listening to these songs. However, many of them still get heavy airplay on classic rock stations. Not one song on this album is bad. Personal favorites include "Cherry Bomb" and "Tuesday's Gone." Other solid tracks include "Low Rider," "Tush" and "Love Hurts."
If you've seen the film, you already know that it lives and dies by the music that's constantly played in it. Much like "Swingers," "Dazed And Confused" is a very good film, but the soundtrack selection makes it great.
I gave this album four stars because there are some key tunes missing (most notably "Hurricane," by Bob Dylan). Also, the classic rock vibe is broken up by "Jim Dandy," which doesn't quit fit in as well as the rest of the tunes. It's still a good song, though. This is an excellent album, and if you enjoy classic rock or grew up listening to these tunes, I'm sure you'll enjoy it (and the film). Highly recommended.』
(Flashback) 『Loved the CD. The music is a much fun as it was the first time I enjoyed it!』 『Tellingly, director Richard Linklatter'sDazed and Confusedwas released 20 years afterAmerican Grafittiand offers a similar story of troubled young personalities lurking beneath an oversaturated pop culture veneer. Like Lucas before him, Linklatter clearly relishes that gloss and wields it like an ironic chainsaw. His soundtrack is a raucous, authentic collection of mid-70's radio fare, be it sharp-edged pop (Sweet, the vastly underrated Rick Derringer), nascent metal (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple) and out-and-out hard cheese (Foghat, Black Oak Arkansas). Dazed and Confused is therealsound of 70's teenage America.--Jerry McCulley』
price：$0.99
Reprise / Wea
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (The new breed of rock music? New Breed of Chemical trash!!!!) 『This is the album that made rich kids cut there writs, this is the album that made you look like a brat and this is the album that makes me want to start an emo genocide!!!!! you emos make me sick you look like your a walking Corpse. To all the emos out there grow your hair grab a cone and listen to some black metal.』
(Bullet through a flock of doves) 『I bought Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge as a gift for my girlfriend. I didn't know anything about them except I had heard "I'm OK" once or twice. We put the cd in and the first song, "Helena" came on. I couldn't help but notice that it was a great song. "Give em Hell Kid" was next and it was just a blast. "Wow!" This continued for the entire cd, every song. I was blown away.
There is nothing about this album I don't like. It's dark and haunting and beautiful. And it just plain ROCKS! It has an energy and a feel unlike any other album I've heard.
The lyrics and vocals are absolutely brilliant. Gerard Way sings about the darker things in life while still covering a wide range of ideas. From zombies, life in prison, vengeful cowboys, dealing with loss, psychotic killers and drug addiction. One of the things that seperates My Chemical Romance from the rest is Gerard Way can really sing, and he delivers the lyrics with force and emotion.
The guitar playing is excellent as well. I would describe it as post metal punk rock. Though there are some very melodic parts, mostly it is straight ahead and aggressive. Ray Toro, who plays lead and writes most of the music is a guitar genius. Capable of shredding with the best of them, he saves the blistering solos for key moments, making them even better.
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge is one of those albums that doesn't come around very often. The stars shine, the planets align, and what you get is a true masterpiece. 』
(not the great vinyl pressing this awesome album deserves) 『i love this MCR album on my ipod but i really prefer vinyl generally. i was really excited when i saw that there was finally a vinyl release but when i put the record on i was really disappointed how hissy it sounds. listening to a great vinyl pressing always reminds me that kids growing up with mp3s (and to some extent cds) really missed out on the medium that is most likely to create a fulfilling, dynamic and memorable listening experience. the band&record company really should have spent the money on a 180 gram black vinyl pressing instead of flashy gimmicks like a stencil. maybe if we are lucky they will press it again in a few years with the normal artwork and a record that sounds as good as the content of the album. despite how much i love this album i ended up selling it used and went back to listening to the mp3s.』
(Wow) 『I seriously believe this is the best album (especially MCR album) I have ever heard. Yes I am one of those punk kids who dies their hair and wears black, but I was doing all of that long, long before I heard any of MCR's music. I believe their music is really inspirational and sung well. I also do like groups like the Sex Pistols, but I think MCR is way better.』
(GOOD!!!) 『Fast shipping. I received the CD a couple of days before the date marked. The CD was in good condition, there were some minor scratches, but the CD played perfectly. The case was not cracked or broken. Everything was in a good condition.』 『No Description Available. Genre:Popular Music Media Format:Compact Disk Rating:PA Release Date:8-JUN-2004』
price：$0.99
RCA
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Long Live the King (but you can do better)) 『This album certainly represents the best of Benny Goodman's big band and small group recordings at the height of Benny's popularity, and it would make a nice complement to "The Very Best of Artie Shaw," which is in the same series of anthologies released by RCA. But unlike Shaw, who put away his clarinet for the final four decades of his life, Goodman kept playing, right up to the few months preceding his death at the age of 77. Not only is much of his later work represented on commercial recordings, but his playing from the 1920s--with Ted Pollard and other groups as well as his own--is also available. Moreover, the Yale Archives is at this moment making available many of the heretofore unreleased recordings from his private collection (it's high time, considering we are well into the centenary of the King of Swing, b. 1909).
The point is that most of these "essential," "indispensable," "ultimate" single-disc collections do Benny somewhat of an injustice by the impossibility of representing the sheer prolific and comprehensive genius of the man. To my mind, the buyer would do better by picking up the Complete Carnegie Hall Concert from 1938 (unquestionably the most historic concert event in the history of jazz and American music for several reasons; in fact, it easily rivals in substance and iconography the celebrated concerts by Marion Anderson). For a second album, try to pick up a copy of "B. G. in Hi Fi" from the mid-fifties. It was little short of miraculous that the entire 1938 concert was recorded a full seven years before recording tape (or wire) had been introduced into the U.S., and it would be Benny who, beginning in the 1950s, was among the first instrumentalists to exploit and popularize the 33-rpm long-playing record format.
As for the irresistible, always engaging Goodman-Shaw comparisons, Shaw holds the record for the number of big bands (5) and wives (I lost count), and his version of "Stardust" beats Benny's. Shaw, moreover, was at once a better showman and "potential" modernist--he evidenced an ear for bebop, as played by Bird and Diz, and began to move in that direction before abruptly abandoning his instrument (and music). On Benny's behalf, he was the more flexible and adaptable musician, able to move from a pure-toned player of the classical repertory to a meditative balladeer ("Goodbye," "Moonglow," "Memories of You") to fast and intricate "chamber jazz" to the hot, sizzling, raw style of playing that had made its way up from New Orleans to his native Chicago. Listen closely to him, or watch videos of him when he gets his groove on, practically oblivious to the crowd. Even the "burr," or raspy effect, in his tone is not unlike hearing early great New Orleans clarinetists like Johnny Dodds, Jimmy Noone, Sidney Bechet, and Edmund Hall. (Despite the apparent professorial reserve, Benny frequently played with unmitigated, contagious heat and passion.)
It's unfortunate that Benny--even more than once-towering giants like Crosby and Armstrong--seems to be slipping so alarmingly fast from public memory.』
(Big Band) 『I had given one of my Benny Goodman CD's away to a clarinet player and was desperately searching for a CD to replace it. This has all of the songs that many enjoyed during the Big Band era. It has the song "Sing, Sing, Sing" with drummer Gene Krupa, it also has many others and is the best CD for the price. Benny Goodman was one of the best of the best during this era. If you enjoy Big Band you will love this CD.』
(Falls Short Of The Glory) 『I must warn you up front: tracks 2,10,11,15,16,17 and 18 are ALTERNATE TAKES, not the masters you are probably use to. And it is NOT advertised on the package! So if you know these songs by heart, you will either be pleased to have them or very annoyed. Just to warn you.
The transfers are fine but the song selection is missing a bunch of songs that I would consider essential to a "Very Best" collection of Benny's RCA period. It is just not one without "Don't Be That Way", "Loch Lomond", "Goodnight My Love", "Goodbye", "Down South Camp Meeting", "Changes" and "Body&Soul". I would say go with "Pure Gold" or "Sing, Sing, Sing" instead.』
(Very Best of Benny Goodman.) 『To appreciate this one has to have danced to this orchectra. Been there and done that. Most talent heard in one group---ever. No omne has ever come cliose to Benny Goodman playing the clarinet.』
(The Very Best of Benny Goodman) 『I was a young teenager during Benny Goodman's era. My father loved the music and we listened to it frequently. What a great instrumentalist Mr. Goodman was! This is a terrific collection of his best songs.』
『Put the finishing touches on your ceiling fan with our hand crafted Ceramic Fan Pulls! Each Fan Pull is hand painted, and includes a 4 inch chain. Simply attach it to your existing fan's pull chain. Fan Pulls are designed to coordinate with Ceiling Fans by Sweet Pea Gallery. Matching Ceramic Switch Plates will complete the room!』 タイトル『 Ceiling Fan Pull Chain: Football >
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price：$14.00
Sweet Pea Gallery
『Put the finishing touches on your ceiling fan with our hand crafted Ceramic Fan Pulls! Each Fan Pull is hand painted, and includes a 4 inch chain. Simply attach it to your existing fan's pull chain. Fan Pulls are designed to coordinate with Ceiling Fans by Sweet Pea Gallery. Matching Ceramic Switch Plates will complete the room!』 タイトル『 Ceiling Fan Pull Chain: Purple Butterfly >
price：$0.49
Warner Home Video
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (great movie) 『This is one of our favorite movies, even our kids liked it when they saw it for the first time!』
(A Wonderfully Funny Film With Tragic Undertones) 『A movie set in the early '60's with everything that applies - the assasination of JFK, the shadow of Vietnam, the evolving Civil Rights movement, the great exodis to the West Coast, and the coming-of-age and breaking up of old ties in the face of high school graduation or dropping-out. I have not read the book by Richard Price and I don't know why he decided to set it in the time period that he has unless it's to use the Kennedy thing as symbolic of the passing of innocence (as if it hasn't been overused as such already).
Basically it's the story of several working class ethnic teenage gangs and one in particular, the Italian-based Wanderers, lead by the charismatic and generaly level-headed Ritchie (Ken Wahl, WISEGUY). Their nearest competitors for control of turf are the Baldies, led by a huge, seemingly good-natured monstrosity called Terror (Erland van Lidth de Jeude) and his tiny-but-tough girlfriend Peewee (Linda Manz, DAYS OF HEAVEN) Other gangs include the Asian Wongs and the Black Del bombers (The DB's). But all these groups fade into insignificance in the face of the large and vicious Ducky Boys, a silly name for a malevolent, almost demonic gang that seems to perpetually carry its own fog and avant-garde music along with it.
A different threat to Ritchie's world comes in the person of Nina (Karen Allen), an independent spirit who comes from a far greater world than the Bronx. She has greater intellectual interests, such as playing classical music on her car radio, listening to Bob Dylan singing "Blowin' In The Wind", and reading "Lady Chaterley's Lover" for its literary merits while guessing rightly that Ritchie has read it for the dirty parts. All of this is far removed from the world Ritchie knows, but Ritchie is drawn to her because he senses she is part of a different world, largely because she is not as shallow as his other friends are, like his regular girlfriend Despie (Toni Kalem).
This is a wonderfully funny movie with snappy dialogue, a few good one-liners (Terror: "Now, there you go again: hurtin' our feelin's.") and numerous awkward situations for our heroes. Gang violence as we know it is fairly minimul. There are a few tragic undertones such as when one Wanderers' member, Turkey, decides he now wants to join the Baldies (This makes him an outsider who is later killed by the Ducky Boys). Richtie encounters a group of people watching the JFK assasination in a TV store and crying. But some of the funny moments include an encounter between Ritchie and his pal Joey and the Baldies (I won't tell what that eventually involved), how a few Mob bosses cool down some uncooperative gang members in a bowling alley, and the Baldies getting drunk and winding up enlisting in the Marines (Even this has its tragic undertones: Vietnam is just on the horizon). Things climax when a football game between the Wanderers and the DBs is interrupted by a mass invasion of the Ducky Boys and all gangs bury their differences, beat back the invaders and later reunite at a party to mark Ritchie's upcoming marriage to Despie.
I place this film among those that I will watch when I'm just absolutely stuck as to what I want to see on the tube.
Don't forget to listen in on director Philip Kaufman's commentary track, which is entertaining as well as informative.』
(Wanderers) 『Waited over 20 years for the DVD as VHS was lost after purchase soon after movie was first released. A great classic and cult movie in Europe. A must-have for every "rock-and-roller"』
(Coming of age in a seminal era) 『Music, direction, relationships, friendships, high-school, sex, peers, etc., THE WANDERERS has it all. So when it came to our town in the early 80's, it struck a chord with a few pals for the way it portrayed a group of friends who hung together thru thick and thin while growing up together. We related.
So much so that a frame was clipped from the film and sent to a jacket company on the Left Coast and 18 of us got Wanderers jackets, just like the ones in the film. The day they came in we opened the box outside the theatre, put them on in admiration and went in and saw the film once again. (I've seen it probably 75 times now.) Sometime in the mid-90's we were paid a visit by Rose and Phil Kaufman (Mom and Pop to us), who posed for pictures with the 10 or so Telluride Wanderers still in town.
I must say that the film has held up better than many of the jackets, some threadbare and some stretching to fit older and larger bodies. The film still says what it did when I first saw it, i.e., that friendship is important and can get you thru tough times, that honor is important, and that even though you move on in life, the soundtrack of your younger life can be taken with you as you grow up.』
(wanderers) 『funny, funny , funny ! plus it's also got some good action parts ! gang fights and such !』 『Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/03/2002 Rating: R』
price：$2.99
20th Century Fox
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Hush, maybe they won't hear you if you get up and leave...) 『I laugh when I think of what I thought I might get out of `Hush...Hush Sweet Charlotte'. It looked so `dangerous' and so `chilling' and so; entertaining. Sadly, the film falters on so many levels that it can't really be taken seriously despite the fact that it tries so hard to be taken seriously.
I think that is my biggest complaint when it comes to this film. It should have embraced its flaws and fully embellished its own `silliness'. Instead, `Hush...Hush Sweet Charlotte' doesn't seem to get the fact that it is campy. It tries so hard to be serious that it winds up becoming laughable, especially when you consider the fact that nearly everyone involved is so intent of `acting their parts' that they bring a new meaning to the word `theatrical'. Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland are all over the place (they truly compliment one another, if you get my drift), but neither are as slapstick crazy as Agnes Moorehead, who gives one of the worst supporting performances I've ever seen!
Am I crazy for thinking that Joseph Cotten was really good here?
So, the film has this layer of darkness that overwhelms it from the very beginning, when young Charlotte's lover is hacked up with an ax. I only wish that the film had known which way to go with itself. I mean, that opening scene is just delicious and could have led way to some horrific and truly chilling sequences, but instead the film feels cheap in its delivery and thus never once musters enough fear in us to care `one way or another' what happens in the end.
And the villains are so plainly obvious that one really only has to be introduced to them to know that they are no good, which kills any and all suspense that this half-baked thriller is trying to cook up.
When this film tries to be scary it's almost comical.
And yet, I really, really liked Joseph Cotten in this!
Some really love this film, but I for one can't really say much good for it, aside from Cotten. I found it to be sloppy and completely overly acted. The director didn't understand how to extract true suspense here, and with the ridiculous Moorehead stinking up nearly every other scene, this film is truly a disaster. What they should have done was embraced Moorehead's camp and turned this film into a spoof, intentionally serving us up laughter in place of terror. This could have at least become another `What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?', a film that established a clear cult following because it seemed to understand and toy with its own camp value.
But alas; this is a film that honestly thinks it's better than it is.』
(HELP ME FIND BETTE DAVIS MOVIE) 『DONT REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE MOVIE...one scene i do remember she was stealing old people checks and killing them, she told one lady to look in a ditch then hit her in the head with a shover???? cant remember the name of this movie???』
(Wild and creepy fun ;o)) 『Bette Davis at her best in this crazy flick. I found some short clips on the net one night and I knew I had to order this excellent movie. Turn the lights out and have some fun.』
(the damned don't cry) 『Under no circumstance can I give this movie more than one star after the way that Joan Crawford (may she rest in peace) was mistreated and abused by the producers, the director and the high holy priestess of the silver screen, Ruth Elizabeth Davis.
Although I have never been too interested in her, I know that Bette Davis was a talented actress, but she could also be very callous and vengeful and extremely mean-spirited. I find it inexcusable that she collectively had poor Joan blackballed because Bette Davis was jealous of Joan's beauty and gentility and gracefulness. Joan Crawford, a star who pioneered the modern American cinematic form, a star who acted in silents when Bette Davis was still in nappies, no less, deserved much, much better than she received.
According to Joan's close friends and assistants at the time, Joan was so emotionally and physically torn, drained and beaten down from the wanton abuse that Bette Davis threw at her that she had no other choice but to check herself into the hospital. Joan did not know how to fight. She was not a fighter in the literal sense. Joan was a pacifist who loved people. And we have to remember that this was her doctor's orders and it was for her own personal health and well-being. And while poor Joan was in the hospital she actually heard of her firing over the radio. They just threw her away like yesterdays newspaper. So sad and so tragic and so disrespectful and disgraceful. But Joan (may she rest in peace) was always a professional and always such a kind and wonderful person and even until the day she passed away never had a bad word to say about Bette Davis or the producers of this film.
Bette Davis always got the very best writers, directors, editors and producers and scripts. Like a poor, starving, innocent, puppy, looking for tables-scraps, Joan simply had to make do with whatever the studio was throwing her way. But Joan, unlike Bette, was always able to make it work because she personified the American woman. She worked harder than any other (wo)man in Hollywood and like a cat holding onto it's 9th life, sustained her career for 6 decades.
As if playing second-fiddle to a second-rate "actress" wasn't bad enough, kind-hearted Joan had to contend with the veiled comments about her appearance, too. Yet, these same critics making these comments almost never bothered to mention that Joan always looked at least 17 years younger than Better Davis. Nor did they ever mention how beautiful and elegant Joan always looked whenever she was seen out in public, even when she was well into her late '60s.
Joan made a classic movie of her own in 1964, titled "Strait-Jacket." And as Ms. Diane Baker (Joan's co-star in the film said in the '02 DVD featurette) if it hadn't been a horror movie, where, by now everyone had all of these preconceived notions about Joan, she likely would have been nominated for an Oscar.
Incidentally, the plot of "Hush...Hush...Sweet Charlotte" is actually rather similar to Joan's other 1964 film, "Fatal Confinement," which is much, much better than "Hush...Hush...Sweet Charlotte" (and came out first.)
I found the performance (or lack there of) by Bette Davis to be lacking in anything even remotely real and human. Like most of her roles (with a very, small exception) she came off as hard, brazen, not very ladylike and rather inhuman (and inhumane) and un-relatable. Incidentally, Agnes Moorhead looked like a regular transvestite. The only performance that was not lacking pretense was that of Ms. Olivia de Havilland (who is still very much alive and kicking.)
If you can find the rare Key Video release of this film, I say get it only because it has a rather unusual cover. However I do not recommend this movie for any other purposes, but if you really must see it wait for it to come on TV.
According to Wikipedia there is actually an original scene in the movie that Joan filmed that is still intact, "There is a long shot in the beginning of the movie, when Miriam gets out of the taxi upon her arrival at the Hollis plantation, that actually shows the back of Joan Crawford's head and not de Havilland's." Why would Joan's portion be left in and not cut out? Some conspirisists think that this was done on purpose to capitalize on Joan's huge name and worldwide box office appeal and loyal public, who, to this day only have the best to say about her.
Contrary to many books and reports stating otherwise, there was never a "feud" between Joan and Bette Davis. Joan was too much of a lady to wallow in the mud with the pigs and simply found it beneath her to ever disrespect anyone, so she simply said nothing. That is one of the (many) reasons why I have so much respect for her.
No, this is not the review you probably came here to read but I didn't start witting reviews on this forum to be anyone's patsy. These are my opinions and I stand by them because this is how I feel about a very poor movie that could have been very good. Sometimes I really believe that I would be more welcome at a clan rally because some people on this forum are so threatened by anyone else's different opinions because perhaps they're afraid that it will undermine their own.』
(Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte) 『Love this movie, but ordered for a friend who loves it even more!!! It's a classic!』 『Poor Charlotte Hollis. She's been shunned by the community for decades, ever since the fateful night in 1927 when her lover was hacked apart with an axe. Her antebellum southern mansion is slated for the bulldozer, as it stands in the way of highway construction. Charlotte's only hope lies in her cousin Miriam (Olivia de Havilland), coming down from up north to help settle things. Miriam, however, has other designs. Together with her boyfriend Drew (Joseph Cotten), she embarks on a scheme to systematically drive Charlotte out of her mind (not a great leap) and get her mitts on the family fortune. From there, things only get more complicated.Charlotteputs the "gothic" in southern gothic, as a great showcase for completely bizarre, overwrought, and out-of-control performances from all involved. Agnes Moorehead plays Charlotte's loyal, disheveled housekeeper to the hilt, with an odd inflection that calls to mind Amos and Andy more than southern gentility. As the drunken, conniving Dr. Drew, Cotten's accent is indeterminate at times, and seems to come and go. As great as the supporting players are, though, the crown goes to Bette Davis as the shrieking Charlotte, a portrait of isolation and decay stuck in a world of tragic delusions inside her crumbling mansion. De Havilland is a close second as the scheming Miriam; the scene where she slaps the holy snot out of a hysterical Charlotte is itself worth the price of admission. Mary Astor (in her last role) and Cecil Kellaway (as a kindly Lloyd's of London adjuster) put in the only performances with any restraint, acting as counterweights for the rest of the cast. Besides, you'll never get another chance to see Joseph Cotten playing the harpsichord and singing, or caked in mud and lily pads! With Robert Aldrich's claustrophobic direction,Charlotteis as Southern as a field of kudzu, and as subdued as a train wreck.--Jerry Renshaw』 『A reclusive spinster is tormented by memories of her fianc?e's murder forty years ago. Genre:Horror Rating:NR Release Date:9-AUG-2005 Media Type:DVD』
price：$3.49
20th Century Fox
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A very "sweet" movie) 『We enjoyed this movie very much...enough to buy it after renting it. It's a love story, but includes a serious theme about prejudice as well. The genres are romance and historical fiction. 』
(Sweet Film - and a slice of Amerixan History) 『On my mother's side of the family, all 4 of my maternal great-grandparents were Norwegian. All of them tried homesteading/farming in North Dakota AND Alberta before moving to the Pacific Northwest to live in a house, on a city lot, and work for wages.
"Banking and farming don't mix" - my relatives who are still out there on the Great Plains farming live by this bit of folk wisdom - and have for over a hundred years.
The romance in this movie may - or may not - be typical. But when I chase the history of those who emigrated from Norway, I don't know if you could even describe "typical". Chance played a huge role in who met whom, who married whom and settled where ever.
These folks sailed away from Norway ,or Germany, or....into an unknown and uncertain future.
I believe this movie PERFECTLY captures the role played by chance, circumstance, character, and HARD WORK in settling the West.
Ross Kane
』
(Two Thumbs and Four Hankies Up!) 『I'm not going to go into any great detail about SWEET LAND, which is also a very sweet movie, as previous reviewers here have done that already. I just wanted to add my opinion to the 50 others who have come before me.
This was a simple story about two immigrants who grow to learn about and love each other despite the obstacles they have to overcome along the way. This was also an adult romance without any sex, violence, or four-letter-words...and not even one Ford Model-T was blown up...so I think that alone will turn off some people. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the DVD, which we got free from our local library, and were involved in the story and cared about the characters. If that isn't the real test of a movie's entertainment value then I don't know what is. The main characters, Inge (a mail-order-bride from post-WWI Germany) and Olaf (a farmer from Norway), try to marry and begin a life for themselves in 1920 Minnesota but are thwarted by the parish minister, who refuses to marry them, and the townspeople, who still harbor anti-German feelings. It isn't until Olaf stands up to the town banker, who is intent on foreclosing the farm of neighbor and friend Frandsen, that the minds and hearts of the minister and townsfolk are changed.
I think a few reviewers were less than enthusiastic about the movie because they either couldn't understand some of the dialogue (smatterings of Norwegian and German were spoken in the beginning) or thought it was just poorly accented jibberish. I guess they don't remember those old Folgers Coffee commercials starring Mrs. Olsen. "Ja! It's mountain grown. The richest coffee there is." otherwise they'd be less skeptical.
At any rate, I wholeheartedly recommend SWEET LAND to anyone who can appreciate good acting, a believeable story, and beautiful cinematography. One warning: Be sure to have a box of Kleenex handy.』
(Love it!) 『This is a great film, and I love it to pieces. The only reason I wouldn't give this five stars is that a lot of the non-English in it is just gibberish. Even when the actual languages are used, sometimes basic grammatical mistakes are made. If just a little more time had been taken on the non-English languages which are rather prominent in this movie I would enjoy it more. However like I said before this is a really good film in all other ways and I highly recommend it.』
(Great movie) 『This is a sweet story about attachment to place as well as people. It's love story is true to life and very touching.』 『Adapted from a Will Weaver story, Ali Selim'sSweet Landis a truly sweet story about unlikely immigrant lovers whose struggle for integration into 1920's America earns them a work ethic more American than many of their narrow-minded neighbors. Set in rural Minnesota, the sentimental film focuses on tribulations that Scandinavian settlers experienced, with a cinematic serenity reminiscent of Terrence Malik'sDays of Heaven. Norwegian farmer Olaf Torvik (Tim Guinee) invites a non-English speaking German siren, Inge Alltenburg (Elizabeth Reaser), to relocate and marry him, but discovers that neither the town's Lutheran pastor (John Heard) nor the local judge will marry a German into their community for fear of wartime German spies. Inge finds friendship in neighbors Frandsen (Alan Cumming) and his wife, Brownie (Alex Kingston), who disregarding local gossip, welcome her into their home. Finally, Inge proves herself, settling in so thatSweet Land'shistorical narrative is framed by Inge, fifty years later, speaking to her adult son about her husband's death and their plot of land. This multi-generational tale of social acceptance and land ownership is ultimately the story of America, though the regional specificity ofSweet Landwill speak especially to those familiar with Midwestern culture.--Trinie Dalton』 『Set in post-World War I Minnesota, a German woman arrives to meet the man she is to marry but the anti-German climate in the town creates obstacles for them. Genre:Feature Film-Drama Rating:PG Release Date:10-JUL-2007 Media Type:DVD』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (i like it but can go without) 『nice product but dont use too much weighs hair down. i can do without』
(Meh, an ok pomade; there's better out there.) 『It's hard finding a good pomade for African American hair, and while this balm will mostly keep your hair in one place, it gums up and is hard to remove later. Because it gums up, throughout the day, it would look like I had little white balls in my hair. I hate that! Then, I would have to use even more of the Wen Conditioning Cleanser to get it out. Frustrating!
I used it after I used the cleansing conditioner and oil, but I would rather use my grandma's tried and true pomade than the balm.』
(Fabulous) 『With long curly hair I find that this really helps with definition. It also adds a little luster to my highlights. Very good for frzz, especially in damp weather. Have loaned it to friends with all hair types: no complaints, only raves.』
(okay...) 『If your hair is thick, product helps with volume, but if you have fine hair, then it ends up flat and greasy. buyer beware. know your hair type.』
(texture balm) 『I absolutely love this product!!! When I ran out of the small texture balm WEN sent me in my collection I tried to find something that would work as well as this product...needless to say I spent a lot of money and went through a lot of different products only to be very disappointed! This texture balm makes my hair look shiny and healthy. I get a lot of compliments on my hair these days and I swear it's because of this product!---Thanks Amazon for carrying this line!』 『Create a sexy disheveled look or an edgy spiky style for short hair or a relaxed and loose look for longer tresses with this versatile finishing stick pomade. Add definition, separation and texture to different hair types while providing hold and a touch of shine.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Wonderful book) 『I was put off by the price many times but this book was perfect for me when I finally purchased it. Has great prompts to add info and dates for milestones (first teeth, day of school, walking, crawling, etc.) Places for a few select photos for you to attach on your own. Good family history section for both parents to list, siblings (yours), grandparents&great grandparents. All in all just what I wanted to start the baby book for my first born. Well made and looks to last!』
(A treasure) 『Thsi book is the greatest. I really covers everything baby would want to know when she gets older. My warning is that you better start writing the minute you get it or you can miss important days as you get so busy when baby is born. Try to get this item before baby is born so that you can acquaint yourself with the information you will need to enter. GET IT!!! My only regret is that one day after I bought it my sister bought me one so I could have saved that cash. My sister returned it.』
(Great Gift!) 『This is a great baby record book. The pages are so thorough and laid out so simply. I gave it to my cousin and she just loved it! I only gave it four stars because it didn't include a pouch or pocket page which I saw and liked in many other books, to keep newspaper clippings, the band from the hospital etc. Otherwise it is a great book!』
(Wonderful Record Book) 『This record book is fantastic. It is orange and green (looks pink&green on the web)and very cute. I liked the items it asked for - cost of various items, birth information, etc. Some babybooks have the most bizarre items they ask you to include. This one is great. I only wish I would have had this one for my first child as well.』
(Very cute and Perfect for tracking baby's first years!) 『I loved the content of the book. It is very gender neutral. So that pink side really is a orangish color. The description doesn't do it justice on the information that it collects. I am very pleased with my purchase.』 『Oh soooo adorable! Our sweet pea collection will surely grow on you! Beautifully crafted with kraft papers, decorative ribbons, embossings, and tiny button embellishments, this collection is the perfect accent to any nursery décor. This record book features embossed tip-on in a die-cut recessed window, buttons, and ribbon trim. 9" x 11.25" book has 80 full color fill-in pages.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Love it! Love it! Love it!) 『I've been using almond oil now for a few months and I am totally addicted. It absorbs into the skin pretty quickly and leaves my skin so soft afterwards. It doesn't take a lot so a 16 oz. bottle lasts me at least 4 months. I love it!』
(Great price for moisturizing oil) 『I have used almond oil as a body and facial moisturizer for about two years now. It soaks in quickly, has no odor and does not leave a sticky residue on the skin. It is also a great massage oil. The price is less than half of what you would pay in a health food store. I keep it in a dark closet and it stays fresh. I pour it into smaller squeeze bottles for everyday use.』
(No almond flavor.) 『The almond oil was stated to be of culinary quality. In contrast to other (more expensive) almond oils that I have purchased, this product lacked the subtle taste of almonds. I wouldn't purchase it again.』
(Almond Oil) 『This one has some odour so not fun to use it on the skin. OK for salads etc. Better product is from lorann oils』
(Almond Oil, Health To Skin) 『I used the product as a all body (including face) moisturiser. The product lasts all day and gives my skin a radiant look. Almond oil is very cost effective. As simple as it gets for a man.』 『Sweet Almond Oil』
タイトル『 Sweet Candy Design Decorative Protector Skin Decal Sticker for Nintendo DSi >
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price：$12.99
MyGift
『This scatch resistant skin sticker helps to protect your Nintendo DSi while making an impression. Self-adhesive plastic-coated skins cover the are custom cut to perfectly fit the DSi. Skins are paper-thin so they do not add any bulk, easy to apply (no bubbles), durable and easily removable without any residue. (Note: Due to differences in monitors, color may vary from photo.)
* Compatible with Nintendo DSi ONLY * This is an order to print product, usually takes 2 days to ship out.』
タイトル『 Red Sweet Heart Design Skin Decal Sticker for the Verizon Blitz >
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price：$7.99
MyGift
『Add character to your Verizon Blitz with this skin decal. Just like a custom sticker for your phone but stronger to protect it from daily wear and tear. Easy to apply without bubbling or wrinkling. Just as easy to remove and doesnt leave behind a sticky residue. Cut to fit your device perfectly so your screen and keys are still usable. Dont forget it comes with a matching wallpaper for a finish design. (Note: Due to differences in monitors, color may vary from photo.)』 タイトル『 Sweet Heart Design Decorative Skin Decal Sticker for Apple 3G iPhone/ Apple iPhone 3GS 3G S >
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price：$7.99
MyGift
『This scatch resistant skin sticker helps to protect your Apple 3G iPhone/ iPhone 3G S while making an impression. Self-adhesive plastic-coated skins cover the front and back of the phone and are custom cut to perfectly fit the Apple 3G iPhone. Skins are paper-thin so they do not add any bulk. Skins are easy to apply (no bubbles), durable and easily removable without any residue.
This decal skin stickerDOES NOTcover the screen of your phone, it comes with a code to download the matching wallpaper as shown.
Compatible with Apple iPhone 3G and Apple iPhone 3G S. NOT for iPhone 2G.
(Note: Due to differences in monitors, color may vary from photo.)』
タイトル『 BSA 6-18X40 Sweet 17 Rifle Scope with Side Parallax Adjustment and Multi-Grain Turret >
price：$30.77
P'Kolino
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Nice chair for toddlers) 『We picked up this chair for our 1.5 year old son for Christmas. It's durable and firm. And the fabric is resistant to dirt and stains. He loves sitting in the chair.』
(LOVE IT!!) 『I absolutely LOVE this chair...&so does our 21 month old son!! Highly recommend it :)』
(Great P'Kolino chair) 『I purchased this product for my one year old granddaughter and she loves it. The side pockets can store her books and is easily accessible to her. It has a wide base so she can even stand on the seat and it will not topple over. It is a nicely made chair. I would recommend this product to anyone.』
(Great little chair for my one year old...) 『My daughter loves the chair...for some reason the green one was on sale for way cheap - so I added some flower embellishment to help "girl" it up. It is a nice soft suede (faux? I don't know for sure - I couldn't find it on the box) I don't know if I would have paid 6o bucks for the chair though...I got it for a steal at nearly half that on here. Best of all, it's made in the U.S.A.!』
(Very nice, but be careful...) 『My 18 month-old loves her P'Kolino Silly Soft Seating in Kiko - Red, and has shown an interest in sitting on grown-up furniture, so this seemed like a natural purchase. In fact, between deciding on whether or not to get the Little Reader chair and actually buying one, she discovered the chair on her own at a local children's museum.
The very first thing I noticed when my box arrived, was that this product is made in the United States. I'm not irrationally against items that are imported, but I thought it was really nice to see a domestic product for a change.
My daughter went straight for the chair as soon as I had it out of its plastic... and jumped on it. And jumped, and jumped, and... whoops! Luckily, I was there to catch her. It's important to understand that this is really just a nice cover over a block of foam. It's deceivingly light, and although it doesn't tip easily from side to side, it does tip backwards easily if you don't have the back against a wall or heavy object.
As long as you're keeping an eye on your child when using the chair (if they have the inclination to be bouncy), this chair is great.
Oh... and for some reason, Amazon likes to put the green one on sale from time to time!』 『P'Kolino Little ReaderFabulously cozy, supremely stable, and fashionably funky! This feathery light chair, with its two pockets and a handle to take it all wherever they go, will soon be your child's favorite. Perfectly sized for toddlers, this sturdy tag-a-long chair is optimized for little readers. Comfy foam, supple fabric, arm rests, and book pockets create the perfect environment for relaxing with a good book or just a little down time. The wide-base and strong angular lines make this chair not only attractive but extremely stable. The Little Reader is made with the highest quality materials; constructed from premium high-density foam and upholstered in cozy, stain-resistant faux suede.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (My Daughter loves it.) 『The nursery is now my daughter's favorite room in the her dollhouse. She loves it and plays the music on the changing table all the time.』
(Cute and fun!) 『This is probably my 3 year old daughter's favorite room in the Loving Family house. She puts the babies to bed every night right before she goes to bed. the pieces are sturdy, colorful and fun. The changing table lights up and plays a lullaby, which is a nice feature.』
(My 3 yr old's favorite room!) 『We bought the Loving Family Grand Dollhouse for our daughter's 3rd birthday, and a few rooms to go along with it. I knew our little girl would love the nursery the best, but couldn't find it in our of our local stores. I was so happy Amazon had it, and a decent price! Because of the timing of my order, the Nursery didn't make it in time, but it was still probably her favorite gift! She is really into babies and baby dolls so this is perfect for her. She loves how the changing table plays lullabies and the cradles are very sturdy. This set is very well made! I would highly recommend this room and say it is the most important room to have- without it the twin babies have no where to sleep!』
(nice, but expensive) 『I ended up buying this item on Amazon because I couldn't find it at the Toys R Us store, where I had seen it previously, and it was out of stock on their website, but if you can find it with them, it is MUCH cheaper. That being said, I am glad I got it anyway because my 3 year old daughter loves it. She loves playing the nursery songs and putting the babies to bed. Seems like a quality product, but we've only had it for a week, so I don't about it's long term durability.』
(Takes a lot of space) 『This is a cute nursery which consists of bassinets with attached spinning mobiles for the twins, a changing table with lights and music and a rocking chair. The Grand dollhouse I have for my grandchildren is furnished except for the attic. These pieces do not really fit there because they are so high you are unable to make use of the floor space - everything bumps into the edge of the roof. These must have been designed for the Twin Time dollhouse which looks like it has higher attic ceilings. So I like the Grand dollhouse, like the nursery, but I would have looked for a different nursery had I known the bassinets and/or changing table were too tall to really work in this attic.』 『Taking care of baby twins is a lot of fun, especially with all the right nursery gear! The changing table has real lights and music, making changing time extra-sweet. Two beautiful bassinets have spinning mobiles and fabric skirts, and there*s even a rocking chair for mom or dad.』
price：$1.53
Melissa and Doug
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Good purchase) 『Of all the puzzles my grandchildren have, this one gets played with the most. Kids can look on the box and see what order to place the pieces even if they don't know their alphabet yet. After they put them in order, they run up and down them saying the alphabet. Even with this wear, the puzzle is still in excellent shape. Have had this puzzle for 2 years now.』
(Great Puzzle; Warning: Takes up Lots of Floor Space) 『This is a great puzzle, perfect for learning letters of the alphabet and their corresponding order. The images on the pieces are really attractive and appealing to look at, and putting the puzzle together is great fun... as long as you plan in advance a place to lay out all 10 feet of it, or accept that you may have to split the puzzle in two halfway through (my daughter gets very upset by the latter solution).
We bought this for my daughter when she turned two, and although she liked it and could put it together with a lot of help from us, she was nearly three before she could appreciate the order of the letters and really understand the correlation between that and completing the puzzle. If I had it to do over, I may well have waited until she was three to give this puzzle to her.
I'm really pleased with how durable this puzzle has been. It is made of really thick heavy-duty cardboard, the pictures are glossy and have held up well to a little abuse. The pieces are smooth, particularly at the edges, and appear to be high-quality.
The only huge drawback I can see with this puzzle is, as another reviewer noted, the letter x has a fox, emphasis on the last letter, which is just... wrong. I mean, why not have a xerus (squirrel) or a xiphias (swordfish) as some of our ABC books have? Really, had they put any thought into this detail, they could have conjured at least a dozen possibilities. Were they just being lazy?
Otherwise, I think this is a great addition to a puzzle collection, and is a fun and engaging tool for children just becoming acquainted with recognizing and ordering the alphabet correctly.』
(Wonderful Puzzle) 『I bought this for my son when he was about 26 months old. At the time, he could identify all of the upper case letters. With the help of this puzzle, he quickly learned all of the lower case letters. By the time he was 2 1/2, he could build this puzzle all by himself, as long as I made sure all of the pieces were turned over for him. At first, I only gave him 3 or 4 pieces at a time so that he wasn't too overwhelmed. Once he got those pieces in, I gave him 3 or 4 more, until it was finished. This is a great first puzzle because all of the pieces go left to right (excellent prereading skill). It's also easy to tell if the piece is upside down so it minimizes confusion. I have bought this puzzle countless times for gifts because we love it so much. I continue to recommend it to family and friends. Soon, I will need to buy a new one for my son because after daily use, it is showing it's wear. But, it's held up very well over the last year and has been worth every penny.』
(puzzle) 『A great puzzle for my 4 year old who loves trains and is learning the alphabet.』
(My 2 year old loves this puzzle!) 『My 2 year old loves this puzzle. The puzzle is big, but she loves to see the train grow across the room. It's very durable, and she has learned both animals and her letters and can do the puzzle now by herself at 2.5.』 『This Alphabet Train puzzle includes 28 extra thick pieces to keep your little one engaged and learning. The self-correcting pieces make learning the alphabet easy and fun. Measures 120" long.』
price：$5.76
Crossway Books
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A Beautiful Little Book) 『In A Sweet&Bitter Providence, Dr. Piper takes us through the book of Ruth. Each of his four chapters begins with the corresponding chapter from the Bible. Piper then deals with the text, one passage at a time, drawing from both the Old and New Testaments to support his exegesis. That's a lot of Bible for a 145 page book.
The overarching theme of this book (and, according to Piper, of Ruth) is that God is in control. Regardless of how bleak our situation, we can trust Him. "Our providences may be bitter, but God is at work for our good--whether we can see it or not." Naomi has to leave home to keep from starving. Her husband dies. Her sons die. She's stuck with this Moabite daughter-in-law. Yet God is working. He's doing things--great things. And we see it unfold. And it's good for us, and glorifying to Him. Though there is so much writing on God's sovereignty, Piper always presents it in a powerful and fresh way.
Another main theme, as suggested by the subtitle, is sex. Sexual purity, says Dr. Piper, leads to greater pleasure in the Lord. He appeals to men and women to be strong, looking to Jesus, who never had sex, but "is the most fully human person who has ever existed." Piper also urges readers to hold to biblical views of manhood and womanhood, using Ruth and Boaz as role models. As a young husband and father, I find these exhortations helpful and encouraging. We need to be reminded again and again. Relationships, and all of life, work out best when arranged as God intended.
The last topic covered by Piper that I'll mention is that of race. If I had any disappointment with the book, it would be that race doesn't occupy as much space as I had hoped. But Piper still makes strong and compelling points on the issue. I love his appeal for believers to embrace ethnic diversity: "Whatever country we live in, we are `sojourners and exiles' (1 Peter 2:11). A follower of Christ in any ethnic group is a closer relative to us than any blood relative who rejects our Savior." Amen. Piper goes further: "As the history of his people progressed, God would make it clearer and clearer that the real issue in intermarriage was not race but faith." There are, after all, interracial marriages recorded in the genealogy of the Lord himself, Ruth and Boaz included. So we should, according to Piper, look beyond "race," and see fellow believers as our brothers and sisters in Christ.
I normally don't mention the aesthetics and layout of a book, but for those who care, this one is exceptional. (Yes, I judged the book by its cover, but in this case I didn't go wrong.) Underneath the dust jacket, on the front of the hard cover, is the full painting of what we see in part on the jacket. On the back of the hardcover is a nice looking map of Palestine. As for the layout, the text is double spaced. This makes for easier reading. And the margins are wide, so there is room for notes. The chapters are broken into small chunks separated by sub-titles, which also aids in reading. I realize that this is all secondary to content, but I appreciate it none the less.
Besides the double spacing, Piper's style is easy to read (more now than in his earlier works). The sentences are short and simple. The words are plain. That's my kind of book.
Needless to say, I recommend A Sweet&Bitter Providence. It points us to Christ. It reminds us of God's goodness. It encourages us to love one another. It has good, biblical theology that is easy to read. It brings out the beauty in the book of Ruth. And to top it all off, it looks good. 』
(I'll Never Read Ruth the Same Again) 『I have never taken the time to really read the book of Ruth thoughtfully before now. Piper takes the reader through this marvelous book in the Bible with thought provoking and careful guidance. I believe one of the most striking things that occured to me was how differently God views things within the lives of men and women. Who else but God would pause between the time of the judges and the kings of Israel to tell the story of a poor little Moabite widow who decides to devote the rest of her life to caring for her widowed Israelite mother-in-law. Yes, Ruth is a great-grandmother of Jesus, but there are many people in Jesus' family tree that we don't get to meet through Scripture. Yet, here we meet sweet, little Ruth. There is a great big story packed in this small book of the Bible that no one should miss and Piper does an excellent job pulling it all together.』
(Audiobook Review - A Sweet&Bitter Providence by John Piper) 『I recently finished listening to the audiobook version of A Sweet&Bitter Providence by John Piper. The audiobook is available through [...] for purchase either on CD or in digital download form.
The book, which is narrated by Grover Gardner, is an exposition of the Old Testament book of Ruth told in a very readable (or in this case listenable) form. I downloaded the audiobook from [...] and listened to it on my iPod during longer drives in the car and while sitting at my desk in my office. The chapters are bite sized enough to enjoy one section at a time.
One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was how the author showed this ancient book to be so very relevant in today's world. Piper does a wonderful job of showing that this is no mere ancient love story. As the book's subtitle suggests, Ruth is a story that speaks to our human struggles and to our understanding of God's sovereign rule over this world.
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of A Sweet&Bitter Providence. I would recommend this audiobook especially to those who may be new to audiobooks due to the relative shortness of this work.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Christianaudio as part of their Reviewers Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.』
(Plotting for God's glory, and our good!) 『"Plotting." This word has negative connotations hinting that a person is scheming to cause injury. Piper uses the word to describe the way God orchestrates good and bad in a Christian's life. The focus in "A Sweet&Bitter Providence" is on the fact that God ordains the believers life in such a way that He gets glory and the Christian is supremely happy. I like that Piper unblushingly declares that God was plotting through Ruth and Naomi's pain, to glorify His name and satisfy them beyond their wildest dreams. Piper mentions that Naomi might have lost her children as a result of the sinful decision to flee Israel. This encourages me because after God made them drink the bitter cup of providence He restored to them unspeakably sweet mercies. Even though my sin is an inexcusable insult toward God, He can use it for His glory and my joy. Piper's attack on racism and sexism are not as prevalent as the subtitle leads me to believe. Piper has often said he feels unqualified to write a book on racism. This might be a backdoor attempt to address the issue through the Biblical example of Ruth and Boaz. And He does a good job showing that ethno-centrism and sexism are refuted in Ruth. The Narrator, Grover Gardner, transmits the tone and seriousness I feel Piper is trying to communicate. I highly recommend this book.』
(Prime Example of Hardcore Calvinist Exegesis) 『John Piper's "A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race and the Sovereignty of God" (hereafter, SBP) is brief reflection on the biblical book of Ruth. Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Piper is one of the leading Calvinist voices in America today, influencing a number of younger Christian leaders not simply into Reformed theology but into actual five point Calvinism. And it shows.
Piper doesn't lay out in detail the framework of his Calvinist theology, which he has long called "Christian hedonism." He does that in "Desiring God" (also available in audiobook and in a free PDF print version on Piper's website), which isn't a bad book. The basic premise of Christian hedonism: the purpose of human life is to glorify God by enjoying God forever.
You may not see that Christian hedonism directly in SBP but it's everywhere present. Piper argues that the bitter experience of Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law, in losing her sons to death (widowhood in that ancient society almost certainly meant a hard scrabble life) is actually a sweet act of God's providence. Why? Through this, Naomi gets Ruth, who gets Boaz, who gets Obed, who begets Jesse, who begets David, who eventually begets Jesus. If your life stinks, no worries: you may be the great-grandma of the Savior.
Though I appreciate Piper's careful attention to the text and some of his insights, I'm in no way convinced of his Calvinism. Technically, I'm Wesleyan-Arminian with a partiality to Molinism, but I digress. My point is simple: if you don't swallow Piper's Calvinism, you won't fully appreciate his reading of Ruth. Piper is persuaded not simply that God orders and uses evil actions for God's good ends but that God ordains evil actions for God's good ends. It may sound like theological hair splitting but with longer consideration, I assure you it's not.
Moreover, the subtitle of his book oversells the content. This is not a biblical theology on sex and race. Far from it. Other reviewers have caught that Piper's emphasis on sex (what little there is) distracts from the story, often winding into puritanical sermonizing on the side. Once again, Piper's views of sexuality and gender difference are just below the surface without being explicit. On a side note, I thought it amusing how Piper turns the steamy night of Ruth and Boaz on the threshing floor into a moment of Victorian purity. Who knows what really happened but whitewashing the Bible of any hint of sexual trespass doesn't really help anyone.
Finally, race is virtually absent. Ok, so Jesus' ancestor was a Moabite, not Israelites alone. This may have been a subversive message to those in ancient Israel who emphasized Jewish purity, but Piper needs to build strong connection points here.
Overall, not bad but not great either.
Grover Gardner narrates the audiobook version (available at [...]). Gardner is a great reader. Good diction and all that. He does get a bit dry after a while and it would be nice to hear some emotional diversity in his reading, but I've heard MUCH worse. I'll take Gardner any day.
*My review was made possible by [...] which freely provided me a copy of the audiobook version, narrated by Grover Gardner.
』 『
John Piper examines the book of Ruth's relevant, unchanging themes and its dangerous ability to inspire twenty-first-century readers in the cause of love.
Sex. Race. Scripture. Sovereignty. The book of Ruth entails them all. So readers shouldn't be fooled by its age, says Pastor John Piper. Though its events happened over 3,000 years ago, the story holds astounding relevance for Christians in the twenty-first century.
The sovereignty of God, the sexual nature of humanity, and the gospel of God's mercy for the undeservingâthese massive realities never change. And since God is still sovereign, and we are male or female, and Jesus is alive and powerful,A Sweet and Bitter Providencebears a message for readers from all walks of life. But be warned, Piper tells his audience: This ancient love affair between Boaz and Ruth could be dangerous, inspiring all of us to great risks in the cause of love.
price：$6.99
Dragonfly Books
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great Social Studies Link for Teachers) 『In an inviting tale, this book links the concept of maps to slaves running away from plantations. I plan to use it with my students. Important note: discuss which parts of the tale are fictitious (possibly quilt use to create a map) and which parts are factual (underground railroad, using covert means to communicate how to escape, etc.).』
(perpetuating a myth) 『How sad that children are being taught fiction as though it was history. Quilts were not made as maps to help slaves escape to Canada; many people risked their lives to help slaves get to Canada and freedom. Those people, both black and white, are the real heroes! It's very sad that this myth continues. Quilts, though warm and lovely, don't need to be brought into the equation. 』
(Wonderful history lesson) 『This is one of many books I purchased as a learning tool for the Education Committee of our local quilt guild. It's instrumental in showing our young people some of the history of quilting. It's even fun for "older" people to read.』
(Fantastic for reading aloud) 『Deborah Hopkinson's use of dialogue in this story is what really recommends it to be read aloud. The characters come through the story so well through their words. They usually don't come right out and SAY anything, but instead communicate vital information in a round-about sort of way. They pretend not to have a care in the world, all the while desperately plotting against their captors.
This is book would be a great tool for opening up a discussion about why people say one thing when they really mean something else entirely. Also, this book is great for discussing ways of "escaping" authority and subverting roles of apparent compliance. Sweet Clara deserves a place on the bookshelves of young revolutionaries worldwide.』
(Perpetuating a Myth) 『While Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt is a wonderful work of fiction, it should be considered just that. While the horror of slavery are age appropriately described so a child can relate...poor Clara is taken from her mother...the story perpetuates a myth...that quilts were used to assist slaves to freedom. I urge teachers not to use this book in their classrooms prior to further research. Neither Quilt Historians nor African American Studies Historians have been able to connect quilts to the UGRR, and to perpetuate the myth is a disservice to our children and the African American People.』 『A young slave stitches a quilt with a map pattern which guides her to freedom in the North.』
price：$6.40
Brazos Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great Book for those who want to work on Acts 1:8) 『This is a wonderful book for those who want to take the words of Christ recorded by Luke in Acts 1:8 seriously. If you study the book of Acts about the Church when it was young and bold and it moves you to want more from your Church, then you need to read this book for insight into how to make that happen. Alan Hirsch is someone I would like to meet personally to thank him for writing this book that changed my vision of my personal walk with Christ and what we should be about in our Churches.』
(Apostolic Genius, Indeed!) 『When I first read The Forgotten Ways, I told my friends I had found a book that had ruined my life. And I meant that in the very best way possible. Hirsch gives teeth to overused terms like "missional" by relying on the example of early Christianity for theology and methodology. Having a definite restoration focus in my theology, I've always looked to the history of early Christianity for inspiration, but this book comes as close as anything I've ever read to actually re-introducing us to what made the early faith so powerful. This is not just your standard postmodern deconstruction of modern Christianity. It is a scholarly, wise, and practical search for the DNA of ecclesia. I literally had to read it a few pages at a time in order to digest it all. And it is well worth the effort.
Others have written plenty about the book's content, so I won't bother with that. Instead, I will warn you that this book is dangerous. You really have to be disenchanted with the church as it is to accept these missional concepts. And even if you accept them, implementing them may prove extremely difficult - especially if, like me, you find yourself in an established church environment where too many people are content with much of the status quo. For me, this has widened the divide between the church as I have known it, and the church as it could (and should) be. But it is a tension I believe we need to endure. And there is hope, as Hirsch himself began this journey in an established church setting.
Much of the western church remains in denial about the decline we are in. Small churches tend to remain staunchly within their comfort zones, and mega churches rarely question the nature of their own methodology. Missional ideology seems destined to remain on the fringes for now. But not for long. The future hope of the church lies in her missional, spirit empowered past.』
(Thinking Again About our Ways of "Doing Church") 『This book is divided into two main sections: 1) "The Making of a Missionary and" 2) "A Journey to the Heart of Apostolic Genius."
The book's title The Forgotten Ways refers to two movements of God that Hirsch would like to see "reactivated" and they are the ways of the apostolic church and the ways of the house churches in China. He sees in both these movements what he calls "Apostolic Genius (the built-in life force and guiding mechanism of God's people) and the living components or elements that make it up." (18). He calls these components "missional DNA, or mDNA, for short." (18)
He states that the goal of his book "is to explore Apostolic Genius and to try to interpret it for our own missional context and situation in the West." (20). He sees what he calls "Apostolic Genius" composed of "passionate love of God, prayer, and incarnational practice" (21) along with the Ephesians 4:11 leadership ministry, true discipleship, structures that relate to the culture, and "appropriate conditions for these to be able to catalyze.' (21). 』
(Some right-on analysis and assertions along with some shortfalls) 『Alan Hirsch offers a critique of Western Christianity and encourages Christian leaders to return to the ways of the early church in order to reach the missional field of the West. Hirsch has fifteen years of experience pastoring churches and leading ministries in Australia. During that time, he has moved from working within a traditional denominational structure to helping develop more outreach oriented ministries that go to the unchurched with the gospel. His focus throughout the book is on identifying the "Apostolic Genius" of the early church and showing how Christians can discover it within themselves and apply it to their contexts. His assertion is that the established church must become a missional one that lives on the edge of chaos and has only the necessary organizational structures.
I think Hirsch conveys some insights that are crucial for readers to take away from this book and instill in their own ministries; however, I also think that Hirsh's critique and way forward must be tempered by a perspective that takes into consideration a larger picture of church history, theology, the human condition, ecclesiology and spiritual warfare. My honest response to this book is that it is poorly written and seemingly unedited; I think its narrow scope neglects important issues to bear in mind when considering that Hirsch seems more than once to suggest the jettisoning of the ordained priesthood, liturgy and institutional churches. Although Hirsch might respond that this is not what he meant; his book certainly seems to suggest that this is what he is saying.
For me, Hirsch's positive message is summarized in a quote from Hans Kung that Hirsch uses to introduce one of his chapters. Kung writes:
"A church which pitches its tents without constantly looking out for new horizons, which does not continually strike camp, is being untrue to its calling. ... [We must] play down our longing for certainty, accept what is risky, and live by improvisation and experiment. "
Hirsch's idea of Apostolic Genius includes six key actions/elements that reflect the early church's and China's underground church's distinct nature that leads to growth and expansion. These are the missional-incarnational impulse, an apostolic environment, disciple making, organic systems, and communitas. When these elements are in a dynamic relationship to each other, Hirsch contends that challenges acts as catalysts serving to generate Apostolic Genius. He elaborates on all of these elements. At the core of the Apostolic Genius is the Holy Spirit, his inspiration, gifts and invigoration.
As he critiques the church of the West, Hirsch identifies some real problems. I think his main concern is the consumerist ideology adopted by the church. Hirsch fears that consumerism has become the driving force within our churches. This force has caused the development of the "attractional" model of the evangelical church. Hirsch rightly exhorts readers to accept a new understanding of the way we do church.
An additional critique that I hope resonates with readers as it has with me is the lack of discipleship in the church. Hirsch discovered this neglect of disciple-making in his own ministry and realized that the church in general is entertaining and feeding the people without engaging them and forming them into disciples who can and will carry out the mission of the church. He also notes that the culture fills this void left by the church.
Hirsch calls churches to transform themselves from being "attractional" to being "sending" churches. Similarly, he calls for the end to the partitioning of what the church treats as "sacred" space versus "secular" space. This differentiation only serves to alienate the world from the church and prevents evangelism and mission. As churches become sending and missional, they also become incarnational, Hirsch calls attention to the four aspects of the incarnation that is a model for the missional-incarnational church:Presence, Proximity, Powerlessness and Proclamation.
When it comes to ecclesiology, Hirsch looks very Puritan in his ways. He emphasizes the irreducible structure and nature of the church and is critical of anything beyond it. Further structure is sketched as stodgy institutionalism. He defends this approach by appealing to the early church and underground church in China. Although these appeals provide insights about those churches, they are also narrow and neglectful though not entirely off the mark. But the early church also found the need to develop liturgies, leadership, structure, discipline and theologians. Hirsch's idyllic picture of the early church is too limited in scope. It ignores the dangers in a structureless spirituality such as false prophets, poor teaching, cultism, unaccountability, etc. Instead, Hirsch associates the shortfallings of the Western church with post-Constantinian Christendom&institutionalism instead of with sin, Satan and human nature--all of which are also present in the organic, grassroots, missional churches advocated by Hirsch. He ignores the positive benefits that the early church and the contemporary church gain from structure and a sacramental liturgy with ordained clergy.
I think Hirsch also treads into ambiguous and tenuous territory when he defines what is and is not an "authentic Jesus movement" or a "more authentic church." These types of claims are indicative of Hirsch's attempts to define the best way to do church. His way of describing the ideal church is somewhat like identifying the best year of a person's life and then admonishing others to live that way in that state all of the time without maturing. He prescribes living on the edge of chaos, but ignores the dangers; whereas, some readers will recognize that living on the edge of chaos will lead to many falling over the edge into the chaos. Taking adequate precautions to avoid this danger should not be neglected.
For Hirsch, mission is the starting and ending point for the church. He asserts that mission is the mother of all good theology. This is a somewhat naïve view of mission and theology. The early church that Hirsch highlights had to deal with the bad theology of Marcion, Arian, the Gnostics, the Judaizers, etc. during its times of great expansion. I think Hirsch would have a difficult time arguing that study of Scripture and true worship are somehow subject to missional enterprises. These are not opposed to each other, but I think they need to go hand-in-hand with each other. The Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are not lacking in mission zeal and endeavors, but their theology is awful. This point is just indicative of Hirsch's general failure to take into account the larger scope of what he writes.
The concept and picture of transforming the church from attractional to sending-missional-incarnational is surely the key factor of Hirsh's book and the one that can be implemented in the institutional church without the church ceasing to be a member of the institution. I believe that the sending-missional-incarnational church can be church with a priest, liturgy, orthodox theology, sacred space and discipline, just as it can be home churches, underground churches and grassroots movements.
Below is a list of descriptors taken from the various places in the text that Hirsch uses for the church of Apostolic Genius (make of them what you will):
* metabolic growth and impact are catalyzed * distinctly higher and more authentic form of ecclesia * primal and uncontrollable nature * defining encounters with some fringy people * leaders with an apostolic gifting, an innovator's audacity, and an uncanny ability to see things organically * fluid, adaptive, adventure-based, and formed in the context of a common purpose that lies outside of itself * it codes its life and makes it transferable by all members of the group * true and authentic organizing principle is mission * a simple Christology * does not limit the presence of God to spooky religious zones. * a translocal apostolic-prophetic team held together by a common purpose and friendships * edge of chaos * metabolic, organic, missional movements * life-oriented approach * living systems * innate capacity * activate latent intelligence * less programmatical * dynamic network-a web of life * constantly relating * learning/ adaptive * catalyze its built-in capacity to adapt * distributed intelligence is cultivated and focused through information. * meaningful interrelationship * relationally networked * bringing diversity into a functioning unity * grander perspective * on a learning journey and in missional mode * responsive and response-able * in-form itself * natural discipling friendships, worship as lifestyle, and mission in the context of everyday life * a living network "in Christ" that can meet anywhere, anytime and still be a viable expression of church * leadership authority is decentralized. * maintaining a movement ethos * grassroots people movements * dynamic social movements * has a seminal vision/idea * fluidity, vision, chaos and dynamism * edges of society/culture * nonelitist * reawaken a virile movement ethos * responsive to that increasing fluid dimension of our culture * overarching beliefs provide a central ideological and operational coherence (fit) that allows for wide tactical decentralization (split) * significant or "dense" communications to hold it all together * metabolic growth * hyperbolic growth in action * do mission organically, traversing the rhythms of life, memes, and relationships * reproduction and reproduce-ability * ecclesial genetic variety * liminal
』
(Apostolic Genius) 『I originally picked up The Forgotten Ways the same year it was published, immediately read a few chapters and moved on. Nothing to do with the book, rather the times were-a-changin' and it appeared that everybody was thinking "missionally." However, now after 3-4 years of thinking missionally, it may be time to revisit Alan's Hirsch's The Forgotten Ways, for it appears that being missional may no longer be on the radar.
What does thinking missional have to do with living into a multiracial future? Alan speaks of his personal founding event which cemented his interest in thinking missionally. Alan encountered this crazy community that rocked Melbourne, Australia - South Melbourne Church of Christ (SMCC). SMCC works, Alan says, because it had "irreducible elements that constitute Apostolic Genius." His book in essence is a prescriptive look or test of this observation that goes beyond SMCC and is seen in thriving missional churches on every continent. What makes a church missional is being Christ, and not just as a "mission" or "outreach" program but because the church has authentic missional-incarnational DNA, or mDNA.
Alan outlines six elements that compose the structure of what he calls "mDNA," and subsequently the structure of Apostolic Genius. Central to the structure is the simple confession that Jesus is Lord, then like spokes on a wheel five components flesh out mDNA: disciple making, communitas, organic systems, apostolic environment, and missional-incarnational impulse.
What makes this structure of a missional church symbiotic with living into a multiracial future is that the missional church exhibiting Apostolic Genius through mDNA is most primed to reach the general population. But what is the general population? Yes, the bulk or general population is that complex, multicultural, and not on the radar of the traditional evangelical church populace that is mostly urban. You know the traditional target of the evangelical church by another name: middle-class, family valued, and having "decent-living" lifestyles. Of course that also describes most traditional evangelical pastors too - go figure!
Alan makes a wonderful case for what one would think of as obvious, that being the missional church is not to create a Christian culture and program to draw people groups into it; rather, the missional church is incarnated and implanted into the cultural people group by intention and design. Churches with mDNA go to the culture as opposed to create a community apart from the culture. By the way, this is the original conception of evangelical as opposed to fundamental. This mDNA is indicative of Apostolic Genius. The influence towards being like Christ is from within as Jesus is "introduced into their imaginations and conversations in a really evocative way."
The most compelling content of The Forgotten Ways is a missional church "apostolic environment" that permits the church to operate in such a way to realize her fullest missional potential. Alan calls this leadership environment APEPT, which is simply an acronym for the five-fold equipping gifts of Ephesians 4: apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors, and teachers. Each gift in Alan's apostolic environment has a constellation of leaders to organize the mission around that gift which Christ gave to the church.
I concur with Alan, about the preeminence of APEPT for the equipping church. Also, that the primary task of missional leader(ship) is to acknowledge that one does not creep up on a big future, one boldly proclaims it. This future is in tune with the spirit of God who "[wants to] call forth and unleash the missional imagination of the people of God."』 『Alan Hirsch is convinced that the inherited formulas for growing the Body of Christ do not work anymore. And rather than relying on slightly revised solutions from the past, he sees a vision of the』
『354701-004』 タイトル『 Columbia Sportswear Little Kid/Big Kid Tagori Multi-Sport Trail Shoe >
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Columbia Sportswear
『This versatile trail shoe allows young adventurers to go off-road (or up trees) with its durable design and trail-specific tread. The Tagori’s suede, leather, and mesh upper integrates an easy-to-use bungee lace-and-lock system to secure the right fit, providing necessary support for hiking, scrambling, or running amok. An innovative EVA midsole and footbed enhance comfort while a nylon shank provides torsional rigidity and support. Durable, nonmarking Omni-Grip® outsoles deliver a solid foundation for the foot, providing reliable traction on any wet or dry surface.』 『The Columbia Tagori Hiking Shoe lets your little girl lead the way up the trail with its versatile design and sturdy sole. The Tagoris nylon shank and EVA footbed support and cushion her foot, while the breathable mesh and leather upper provides a lightweight, comfortable fit. The bungee locking lace system stays snug and prevents frequent stops to tie loose shoe strings. The Tagori keeps up with your little mountaineer thanks to a grippy Omni-Grip rubber sole with a trail-specific tread.
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Excellent Buy, Great Value) 『I purchased the Teva Infant Mush Flip Flops for my 2 year old son. He loves them!!! I tried other brands but the Teva Mush are the most comfortable ones for him. The other brands I tried always bothered him in the front or on the rear strap and never seemed to stay on his feet. The Tevas fit him perfectly and the bottoms mold to his feet. They've also held up better than other brands.
I highly recommend this product but be careful with sizing they run a little big.』
(Great-- but not grippy) 『We just bought these because my 2 1/2 year old really wanted flip flops like mine. I couldn't get them off her in the store-- which was a good signcompared to flip flops at Target that she couldn't stand to have on her feet. We like how it has the strap on the back-- they stay on her feet and she doesn't complain about it. Our only complaint so far is that the treads really don't have any traction - she likes to run and climb and on smooth surfaces (like wood floors) she slips.』
(Nicole of Neveda) 『My daughter loves these sandles. They are nice they are small enough to fit between her little toes. I will buy these again.』
(Teva Infant Flip Flops) 『Cute, cute shoes! However, the strap on the back of the shoes won't stay on and I am continuously having to put the shoes back on my toddler.』 『Squish, squash. Mish, Mush. This super-cushy little sandal from Teva will snuggle their feet with comfort and total cuteness. It has an adorable printed nylon upper with a stretchy heel strap for a flexible fit, a Durapontex® EVA sole for a shock-absorbing step, and a grippy outsole for sure footing and balance on most surfaces.』 『Squish, squash. Mish, Mush. This super-cushy little sandal from Teva will snuggle their feet with comfort and total cuteness. It has an adorable printed nylon upper with a stretchy heel strap for a flexible fit, a Durapontex® EVA sole for a shock-absorbing step, and a grippy outsole for sure footing and balance on most surfaces.』 『Soft, squishy and comfortable. Featuring a durable nylon thong upper and a Durapontex(r) EVA midsole, the Infant's Teva Mush(r) flip flops offer the same comfort and durable construction as the adult's version of this popular flip flop.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Fun with Pogo) 『I bought 2 of these for gifts. My Mom&Aunt have had a lot of fun with Pogo games. The kids love them to. Well done&cute!』
(ADDICTIVE) 『We bought this game for our 6 year old little girl. She does pretty well with it in an untimed mode. She is not as interested in it as I though she would be.
My husband and I are horribly addictied to it though. I spend way too much time in front of it.』 『A sweetly satisfying puzzle game with three ways toplay! Product Information Swap, match, win! Satisfy your puzzle cravings with three tasty gamemodes! Dazzling animations create a colorful candy shop of delight. Gethints when you need them, and save high scores for bragging rights! Matchbigger combos of cascading treats for huge bonus points. Lost of fun withth』
Arcade action meets puzzle strategy with Betty Boop Super Sweets! New twistsand never-seen-before game play plus fast and furious continuous swapping - areyou up to the challenge? How quickly can you swap, make combos, and getpower-ups? Can you keep the stack from reaching the top?
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Casio
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Jazzy and Arty) 『I'm a middle-aged professional woman, and I LOVE this watch!
I find it jazzy, and fun, and not at all "kiddish." :-)
The several choices of animated display look rather Art Moderne. The chunky, square black faux-rivited case is attractive and eye catching. People ask about it all the time.
The style looks casually sophisticated and adult, to me.
But, for those who don't like the red resin watch band (I like it!), there's a very attractive shiny, faceted black resin model.
The price is the best on the Net. Delivery is lightening fast.
Thanks!』
(cute little watch) 『This watch is really cute. i just bought it.but it kinda looks like a kid's watch. I think it's the strap, it looks kinda cheap. But overall, it's cute and cool!』 『With its daring purple resin band and high-performance features, the Sweet Poison Dance Watch #BG2100-4 from Casio's Baby-G Collection is a true show-stopper. It also boasts a selection of practical features that can help your life run more smoothly. An EL backlight with afterglow makes it a snap to read the time even in dim conditions, while a daily alarm, countdown timer, and hourly time signal, and auto calendar pre-programmed until the year 2099 keep you organized. You can also choose between five display formats and four time display formats. Water resistant to 330 feet, with a battery life of approximately two years, this Casio original adds instant spark to any outfit, and yet never skimps on the quality and functions you need. This watch is protected by a one-year manufacturer's warranty.』
『 This inflatable alligator measures 22" and comes with six 5" plastic rings. Throw the rings over his snout or tail and you win! Great for safari and adventure themed parties.
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (sweet dreams dvd) 『Arrived in Australia in excellent condition. Super fast delivery. Would gladly deal with again. AAA+++』
(Satisfied Customer) 『Would buy again from this seller. Item arrived quickly, and in condition described. Thanks so much!』
(A Good Addition for Patsy Cline Fans) 『For those who are fans of Patsy Cline, this is a good addition for a collection of her works. This is also a good companion flick to Coal Miner's Daughter as Patsy was influential in Loretta Lynn's career. Sweet Dreams does follow, to a good extent, the career of Patsy Cline, but focuses more on her personal life than her career. Still it is a good movie and, of course, the music is great.』
(sweet dreams dvd) 『I got a good deal for the price I would defintely buy from this person again.』
(great movie) 『Sweet dreams is an excellent movie, and I have always loved it and found it on amazon, it arrived new and in good condition just as promised.Great purchase.』 『She wasn't a beauty queen, but country-music star Patsy Cline's voice was a thing of wonder: full-bodied, aching and dreamy at the same time. She came by the torchy emotions in her songs honestly, as shown in this biopic directed by Karel Reisz, rising from poor surroundings, literally forcing her talent on the Nashville establishment, all the while trying to survive an abusive marriage to a drinker. Though the script by Robert Getchell is standard Hollywood biography, the movie is more than watchable, thanks to a bone-deep performance by the always astonishing Jessica Lange and the counterpoint by Ed Harris as her loving but unreliable husband. The soundtrack features a basketful of Cline's hits, which Lange convincingly lip-synchs.--Marshall Fine』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Entertaining But Could Use Some Trimming) 『"Finian's Rainbow" (1968) is one of the few films I saw three times in the theater, and since repeat viewings are normally not my thing it must have made some connection or maybe I just enjoyed watching Barbara Hancock dance. Despite this I agree with most of the critical comments about portions of the film.
Unfortunately it was assembled as a 145 minute "roadshow" musical; these were overlong spectaculars which depended less on the charm of the performers (think 1930's) than on pre-sold event marketing (unnecessary, pretentious, overscale, and distracting production values; souvenir programs; etc.). Right around the time of its release these mega-productions were leading many of the studios to financial ruin. Warner Brothers took a hit from this one; box office was bad but fortunately Coppola worked cheap and had cranked this out on the back-lot with a relatively modest budget.
Trim about 30 minutes from the film and you would have a much better production. There is a lot of stuff here that is supposed to be fun and just doesn't make it. Fortunately there are some real gems sandwiched throughout the film.
Think bi-racial "Lil Abner" (1959) with a touch of "The Wizard of Oz" (1939). The Oz connection comes from lyricist E. Y. Harburg, the guy who gave us "If I Were the King of the Forest". There are enough such silly songs to make up for toughing out the musical clunker moments. Tommy Steele absolutely shines doing this material (insert Bert Lahr here) .
Nothing wrong with the performances of Fred Astaire or Petula Clark either. And its not just his dancing and her singing, they both achieve excellent characterizations. Astaire at 70 does not look much different facially than Astaire at 30. But this time instead of a physically unlikely love interest he plays a warm old man still chasing a dream, and it's a much better fit. Clark does an excellent Debbie Reynolds and more than holds her own through the production.
Unfortunately there is little good to say about the casting of Don Francks as Petula's love interest and Hancock's older brother. Most likely Coppola felt that the film needed a relatively hip looking guy in place of a Gordon MacRae type. But Francks comes off as more of an oily hotshot; the kind of guy who would proposition your 14 year-old sister.
The plot has Finian and his daughter coming to Kentucky to bury a crock of gold he has stolen from a leprechaun back in Ireland. Finian believes that he can produce some kind of synergy by getting the gold within close range of Ft. Knox. They end up in a racially mixed Dogpatch named Rainbow Valley, where blacks and whites work side-by-side as tobacco sharecroppers. There is considerable intrigue involving the local racist political hacks, a new stain of mentholated tobacco being developed by a George Washington Carver type (Al Freeman Jr., back taxes on the sharecropping collective, romance, and a leprechaun who is slowly becoming human.
Barbara Hancock, a young but quite accomplished ballet dancer, is fetching as Susan the Silent (who dancers instead of talking). Coppola adds a lot of nice lyrical moments by showcasing her dancing. It is said that Astaire resented her being cast instead of an older dancer he recommended. They are not paired in any number, a failure conspicuous by its absence.
The widescreen DVD looks great and the Coppola commentary is surprisingly interesting.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child. 』
(Not As Good As It Could Have Been...But At Least We Have It!) 『The major flaw in this film is that Coppola couldn't decide the style. (It was, after all, his first film...or nearly so.) Much of it is filmed outdoors, but many scenes were done in a studio, and the visual difference between the two is as jarring as "Old Devil Moon" is with the rest of the score, much the way "What I Did for Love" stands apart, stylistically, from the rest of the score of A CHORUS LINE. Both songs were obviously intended to be "the hit song" from the score.
Tommy Steele's acting is over the top, obviously directed to be such. He is, after all, a leprechaun, and there are no role models to emulate. I doubt if David Wayne in the Broadway original was quite so skittish. Petula Clark is surprisingly good; Don Franks is somewhat less so. Fred Astaire is Fred Astaire, looking shockingly old...but then again, he was! It almost makes you feel uneasy, watching him dance at that age...especially the scene in the tobacco barn, where he's up and down a stack of packing crates. A man that old shouldn't be made to do that sort of thing!
In all, though, it's quite enjoyable, if a little heavier-handed with the racial thing than it needed to be. And it was, after all, Fred's final musical appearance in a film. We have that to be thankful for!』
(Doomed to obscurity) 『Having recently seen a stage production of Finian's Rainbow on boradway, I have a new appreciation for the film. As a film adaptation, it is quite well-made (and perhaps superior) to the original. Astaire's performance is incredibly subtle but nonetheless lends a lot more depth to the character of Finian, who was originally an Irish caricature and little else. It's all in the line readings: Astaire was as good an actor as he was a dancer, and his comic timing is flawless. Even in his sixties, the man is a machine.
Coppola's version continues to have a vile reputation, one I assume will probably never change. I'll list off the reasons for this:
1) - An extremely negative portrayal of the deep south. The "good guys" live in a filthy shantytown, while the evil Senator Rawkins resides in a nightmarish, antiquated mansion which is surrounded by a jungle. I half expected Colonel Kurtz to emerge from it. Obviously, Rawkins' environment is meant to exaggerate his backwards thinking, but you can see how all of this would offend southerners. The Rawkins estate in no way resembles an real-life antebellum house. Coppola clearly has no affection for the south, nor does the original script.
2) - Fred Astaire doesn't dance. Much is made of Finain's Rainbow being the last coffin nail in Astaire's career. I beg to differ; it's probably his second-greatest acting role (with Easter Parade being his first). You really have to see it to appreciate it; I can't accurately describe what I mean.
3) - The movie is "Marxist". Well, I'm afraid this film isn't going to change anyone's ideology or ideas abut capitalism. In reality, though, the plot has little to do with economics and more about poking fun at bigots.
However, none of these reasons merit overlooking the excellent musical score. Each song is beautiful and memorable -- which is more than you can say for a lot of musical comedies.
The entire cast is great, even the irritating Tommy Steele, whose over-caffeinated mugging is well-suited for a Leprechaun, though not so good in other roles. The movie ended up chopping away a few songs, most notably "Necessity". To be perfectly honest, these edits probably benefited the film; The stage version tends to replay its songs too often.』
(Finian's Rainbow) 『In my opinion, this is not a well-crafted story or a movie worth watching, unless you really like a certain actor or actress or really want to see Fred Astaire dance in his last role. I thought it would be interesting because Tommy Steele was so great in Disney's musical The Happiest Millionaire and because Keenan Wynn can be very funny, but in this movie, Tommy Steele acts more like he is on a drug high, and the songs in this had less to do with the plot than in most musicals. For example, there's a lot of good dancing and there are some good tunes, but when everyone's spending the day running through the fields, and it has so little to do with the plot, you have to wonder what the point or current plot is. The point at that particular part seems to be that everyone's happier in communal living, and the rest of the movie clarifies that communal living is specifically Marxist. The messages of the movie are Marxist, and the writers of the musical also managed to put in a bit about witches overcoming discrimination, a big deal to the feminists of the 60s. The Marxist message is more blatant than some of the reviewers here suggested, portraying Fred Astaire's character as greedy for wanting to keep his money and calling the rightful owner, the leprechaun (Tommy Steele), a member of a "subversive underground group" for wanting it. The writers of the musical were Marxists or socialists who were portraying capitalists as selfish, accusatory hatemongers. One last thing: I felt that the movie's subplots weren't very well connected to each other until the end of the movie, and that the cuts in the movie were done in a very psychedelic, disjointed fashion, reflecting the hippie era that director Coppola apparently embraced. All of these things were negative aspects to me.』
(Finian's Rainbow) 『I'm in love with MUSICALS. I've always liked Fred Astaire (and Petula Clark has such a haunting voice, I could listen to her for hours). Tommy Steele does a very credible job as the leprechaun (I remember him from The Happiest Millionaire). As for the story, it's standard fare for musicals, but the singing (and dancing), OH MY. That's the hook for me!』 『A funny thing happened toFinian's Rainbowin between its debut as a Broadway musical in 1947 and its appearance as a film in 1968. After 21 years, its theme of racial tension in the American South was no longer cutting edge, and the fact that its heroes are a group of sharecroppers called the Rainbow Valley Tobacco Cooperative dates it even further. Add a number of subplots and the heavy hand of a 29-year-old Francis Ford Coppola directing his first and only musical, and the two-and-a-half-hour running time feels bloated. Hermes Pan (best known for the classic Astaire-Rogers movies) is credited with choreographing the overbusy musical numbers, but he was reportedly overruled by Coppola at every turn. Still, there is a lot to enjoy in this movie, most notably Fred Astaire in his last lead role in a musical. Fred plays Finian McLonergan, an Irishman who has traveled to America in hopes of planting a pilfered pot of gold near Fort Knox and watching it grow. Even at 69, Fred shows he is still capable of a sprightly step and warbling "Look to the Rainbow." Another plus is the casting of '60s pop icon Petula Clark as his daughter, as she sings with an unaffected loveliness. Finally, the score by Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg includes two of the best Broadway songs ever written--"Old Devil Moon" and "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?"--as well as the comic ditty "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love."--David Horiuchi』
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