Stuff about stuff in no real order
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The cold weather is taking a bite out of my game and I have not had the ability to practice or play with the advent of the year end holidays. I went out yesterday, after spending some time in the gym, and had some trouble getting the ball to go straight. I was saved from further mishap by a
phone call so I had to leave the range.
I have made some updates to the blog on the back end so I hope to provide more frequent updates in the future. Until then …
Product Description
Finally, a fishing system that lets kids truly enjoy the fishing experience. The Rocket Fishing Rod accurately casts up to 30 feet, just pump, launch & reel ‘em in! Patented safety bobber hides the hook until it hits the water. Makes fishing fun and safe, just pull back, point and cast. The safety bobber ensures that there are no accidental hooks. Quality engineered - patented design and rugged ABS construction to thrive in the great outdoors. A huge innovation in family fishing.
Review from Dad:
Fogo Rocket Rod Jet Cast Safe Fishing System
This product is pretty cool. It shoots pretty far and you don’t have fishing line issues that you have with regular fishing rods. It will definately be more excited to fish with Dad this summer. It’s very easy to handle that my 4 year old can do it by himself and its cool enough that even a 10 year old enjoys it and wants it.
Saw this online tonight and thought it was funny…I remember spending hours, and quarters, on these old games. Now you can have one in the back room.
The Super Multi Pac Man Upright Arcade Game is the ultimate cure for any classic video arcade fan with a bad case of Pac Man fever. This cabinet not only features the original classic Pac Man, but also seven sequels inspired by the iconic pellet chomper: Ms. Pac Man, Pac Attack, Ms. Pac Attack, Pac Man Plus, Ms. Pac Man After Dark, Ultra Pac Man, and Piranha Pac Man. This rare and limited cabinet features the original programming and circuit boards, and gives you the option of playing each game at either the classic slow speed or the more challenging fast speed. This cabinet has more than enough ghost chasing and pellet eating action to satisfy even the biggest Pac Man enthusiast.
Super Multi Pac Man Upright Arcade Game 
So the 1980’s gave us lift & cut. The 90’s gave us Norelco’s Reflex and Quadra systems. Now finally, for the first time in its 70+ years as the leading maker of rotary shavers, Norelco gives us a system that covers more area, with more speed and comfort than ever before. It doesn’t just promise a faster, closer shave, it delivers.
I can’t speak for all guys, but let me try to break-down the electric / blade dilemma. Blades are closer, but cause irritation. So most blade users tend to skip a day to avoid that. Furthermore, you get a closer shave with a blade if you let the stubble grow a bit, so skipping a day is a common practice. But blade shaving gives guys far more options in terms of products to choose from, both for shavers and shaving conditioners and gels. Simply put, if you want a close shave and the ability to control all aspects of shaving, and see what you’re cutting, the blade is the best way to go.
Then there’s electric. An idea hatched from the 1930’s, and later re-marketed in the late 1950’s space age / cold war era that told us that blade shaving was a thing of the past. Electric shaving promised to be as close as a blade for decades, but never delivered. But over the years it has delivered its promise of a safer, faster, and less irritating shave. For guys who don’t like shaving around the sensitive lips and nose areas, electric has its advantages.
All electric shavers fail to cut the longer neck hairs effectively, including the new Norelco XL series. But the XL is still a major breakthrough. Simply put, it has switched me back to electric after 6 years of using blades. The new rotors have three rows of blades, and an innovative mix of slots and holes for stubble, making-use of dead space that was Norelco’s weakness since their beginning. The XL has the inward tilt mechanism introduced with the Reflex system. And it has the late 80’s lift-and-cut technology, which doesn’t work exactly as advertised, but it does shave flat areas of the face as close as a blade (the cheek and upper lip areas do get the closest cut).
The XL series is easy to clean under hot water, another development from the Quadra series, which is even better and more effective here.
The XL gives me the closest electric shave I’ve ever had. And I can use it daily for a consistent smooth look without irritation. Add the recent development of products like Anthony for Men’s alcohol-based pre-shave solution, and electric shaving suddenly has advantages worth making the switch. I liked the XL so much, I got the 9160XL for home, and the less-expensive 8140XL for my office. The 2 shavers are the same, except for the smart touch pivoting feature, which is not a big bonus in my opinion. The pivoting feature makes it possible to shave the neck and chin faster, but the results for both shavers is exactly the same, meaning that some neck hairs are going to be missed, making it necessary to use a blade to do some quick cleanup. Electric is far from perfect, but this is the closest and most comfortable electric yet. I’m sticking with it.
And since the XL is Norelco’s top of the line model, it is still made in Holland. All other Norelco’s are made in China. it won’t be long before the XL is made in China as Norelco develops it’s next breakthrough. But the XL is the big breakthrough as far as I’m concerned. I’m hooked. And I’m a total shaving geek now.
Check out the review on the Star Wars DELUXE TRANSFORMER MILLENIUM FALCON:
It’s the best toy concept ever. It’s a geek’s dream. It’s Han Solo and Chewbacca which transform and combine to form the Millennium Falcon. It’s got lights. It’s got sound. It’s got firing missiles. It’s got working landing gear. It’s got all kinds of things.
If you’ll forgive a little boasting I thought of the Star Wars Transformers idea when I was like 8. So I was excited to see that come into being. If only I could have been the one to sell them the idea… Anyway, when they announced the line I got to thinking about which figures they should make. The very first thing I thought of was Han and Chewie forming the Falcon. Hey, I’m good at this, maybe I can get a job with Hasbro. So I had already decided this would be the best toy ever conceived when they announced it was coming.
I have not been disappointed! First of all the packaging is a little better than the others in the line. There’s not so much empty, useless space in the box, the silly little discs are absent as is the poorly written action paragraphs on the back. The package just looks refined a little. Yeah, yeah, who really cares right?
I’m usually not impressed with the electronics on toys like this. I’m not getting them for playability, though, so I can’t speak for everyone. This one is a different story. You get some comments from Han, growls from Chewie, and a few other sounds, plus a light-up thrusters and some lights around the upper gun. The sounds are good recordings, better than what I’ve heard on most toys like this. The activation buttons and battery compartments are well disguised so they don’t spoil the look.
I don’t care anything about having pilot figures, but this one includes two. The cockpit opens and has 2 seats for them (though front and back rather than side by side). There is an extra seat on Han’s chest for the Han pilot in mech mode.
The figures look good. In fact, Chewie is the best of the line. He is very broad-shouldered (more so than the regular character, but the look fits) with a chest that slides forward like protruding pecs, a minor detail that adds a great deal of heft to his upper body. The brown accents help give him a Wookiee look though mostly he is light gray. His head sculpt looks great with a lot of detail given to his fur, but it’s mechanized fur which is interesting. Something else of note is that his feet are different than the picture on the box and internet. He actually has brown paws that flip out. The feet were one of the biggest nitpicks I noticed in the promotional images so seeing that they actually look better on the figure was exciting. His hands are by far the best sculpt of any so far. They are so far beyond the early figures like OB1, I wouldn’t think they would be from the same line. Some others have had better hands, but Chewie’s are the only ones that are anywhere near impressive. The only real ship part he has hanging around is the thrusters (unless you count the cockpit on the shoulder, but that’s optional). Other than that he really doesn’t look like he would turn into anything like a ship. His articulation is great with several joints along his arms, rotating wrists, rotating head, posable hips and knees, etc. I’ve had no problems balancing him and have been able to get him into a variety of active-looking poses.
Han isn’t quite as impressive as Chewie, but he still looks better than almost any other figure. The more organic head sculpt isn’t as sharp. Helmets just translate better I guess (with the exception of Chewie). Still, it has a lot of detail and looks as good if not better than the other human faces in the line. His hands are sculpted better than most but not even close to Chewie’s level of detail. Han’s blue accents aren’t as distinctive as Chewie’s brown but do give him some color. He has more visible ship parts hanging around, most notably two huge shoulder pads. The problem with these are that positioning them flat over the shoulders where they look the best interfere with shoulder movement. He has the same basic joints as Chewie, but his arms don’t move as freely, and he doesn’t balance as well which limits his poses more.
The ship looks good. There are some tell-tale cracks in the hull where the pieces don’t sit flush and some exposed joints, but it looks solid. The only things I really don’t like are Chewie’s exposed fists and the holes right in front of them. Being a combiner the joining of the two has to be taken into account. It holds together impressively well, better, in fact, than some of the regular ships.
Star Wars DELUXE TRANSFORMER MILLENIUM FALCON
There is a trade off for holding together so well which is difficulty in separating the parts for transformation. Splitting the ship apart for the 2 figures can be frustratingly difficult since no one wants to apply so much force the figure breaks. While not as bad as that, Han’s feet can be a problem, too. Unsnapping them can easily cause his leg joints to separate. It’s easy enough to fix but a little annoying. Other than the difficulties of force, the transformation is moderately challenging, nowhere near as hard as most Alternators, but difficult enough to be fun.
There are a few parts that have to come off for the transformation. The cockpit and side missile block Han’s feet and have to be removed regardless of what you do with them in mech mode. The cockpit is intended for Chewie’s shoulder. The dish has to come off and is most commonly placed on Han’s shoulder pad. The guns, of course, come off so they can be held, but it’s possible, if you want, to leave them on until the end and have the characters reach around and remove them by hand. While I prefer to not have parts that have to be removed for transformation, I’m glad there aren’t any more than the few there are on this one.
I think my biggest complaint visually is the side missile launcher. This is the biggest deviation from the look of the regular Falcon design. It spoils the look of the ship and doesn’t do anything for the Han mech. The firing trigger also sticks out in an unattractive way. With all the guns already there what’s the point of this extra launcher? It doesn’t look as bad on the real thing as it does in the picture, but I would have preferred not to have it.
I can’t think of too many improvements they could have made other than losing the extra side cannon and not removing the cockpit. It would have been great if they could have found a way to include Chewie’s trademark bandoleer, but not having it is not a major loss. The only other neat addition might have been a working landing ramp that we see them use in the movie.
This is a well-made Transformer. It’s considerably more pricey than the others in the line, but it’s exceptionally fun and great looking. If the cost isn’t daunting to you I highly recommend the Star Wars DELUXE TRANSFORMER MILLENIUM FALCON.
Check out this review of the Roboraptor Robotic Dinosaur:
This is a review of the Roboraptor in two parts. The first part (below) was written by the purchaser and owner, my 8-year-old son Robin. The second part (below that) was written by me, Jack. Since we used both the Amazon and Radio Shack reviews while we were researching this toy, we’re posting this review to both forums.
***
Robo Rocker
by Robin
I love my Robo Raptor. My favorite part about the Robo Raptor is the Roam mode, which means that it moves on its own. It’s cool because it’s kind of like a real cyborg animal. I like to do fights using the remote control with other toys, like my giant robot Mars Super Fighter. I would like to buy some army men for it to munch on.
I think the good reviews were completely right and the ones that say “this is just a piece of junk” were completely wrong.
***
OK, so that’s Robin’s take on it. I want to add a few details to what he said.
Robin first became aware of the Roboraptor when he saw it at Toys R Us, over a year ago. For one birthday, one Christmas, and another birthday, it was the first item on his want list. Given the expense and our family’s previous bad experiences with expensive remote control robots (they didn’t work as advertised, they were played with for an hour then forgotten until yard sale time), Robin’s mother and I weren’t inclined to go that way again. We explained this to Robin, but he kept asking for it. Finally we told him before his most recent birthday that if he saved all of the birthday money he’d be getting from extended family, he would almost certainly be able to afford it. So that’s what he did.
Once he had the money, we sat down with Robin and the computer and looked at the reviews of Roboraptor on Amazon and Radio Shack. Robin wasn’t dissuaded by the generally negative judgment of many of those reviews, and his mother and I decided not to stand in his way; if this turned out to be an expensive lesson for him, well, so be it. He bought it, I helped him get it out of its ridiculous packaging (you need a moderately-sized screwdriver to liberate the poor thing), and I helped him go through the controls once and figure out where to point the controller. From there it’s all been his ballgame, and he’s had a fantastic time with it.
My own sense is that the long wait, the careful research, and the fact that he did it with his own cash has enhanced Robin’s pleasure with this toy, but only somewhat; most of his enjoyment is much more in-the-moment, e.g. making it dine upon his action figures.
I want to emphasize that we never saw any advertising at all for this toy. I get the impression from other reviews that there has been a moderately exaggerated marketing campaign around it. We never saw it, so we never had unreasonable expectations; it looked like a remote control toy, and that’s pretty much what it is. I’m not a robot fan, so I’m moderately impressed by how well it navigates in Roam mode–but it’s still not what I’d call smart or graceful, and it can get stuck in corners. We have hardwood floors, so we haven’t seen the reported trouble with carpets, but it also wouldn’t surprise me, given how ungainly the thing is.
A couple of caveats for parents: 1) This thing uses a fistful of batteries, which aren’t included. Robin bought his own, but be warned if you’re buying it as a gift. 2) There’s no mute button, and it’s pretty noisy.
Overall we were more pleased than disappointed, but our expectations started out good and low.
A very good visual of the immigration problem …
Get the visual here!
I may be a bit out of touch but this one made me laugh out loud. I can almost hear CNN saying this already. Mike Shelton you are good.
A great article on how to connect your coffee machine to the Internet. Lots of photos and diagrams to help you do the same.
Weight cutting is the practice of rapid weight loss prior to a sporting competition. It most frequently happens in order to qualify for a lower weight class (usually in combat sports, where weight is a significant advantage) or in sports where it is advantageous to weigh as little as possible (most notably equestrian). There are two types of weight cutting: One method is to lose weight in the form of fat and muscle in the weeks prior to an event; the other is to lose weight in the form of water in the final days before competition.
Nutritional experts will rarely give advice on how to cut weight safely or effectively, and will simply recommend against cutting weight at all. However, many athletes choose to do it because they wish to gain an advantage in their sport. Coaches should be aware of this, and be prepared to counsel athletes on safe methods.
In addition to improving performance through healthy eating, some athletes will seek to lose weight through dieting and aerobic exercise. By losing fat they hope to achieve a higher “strength to mass ratio” or “lean weight.” This means more muscle and less fat, and should theoretically give them an advantage against other athletes of the same weight.
Healthy weight loss can be seen as a positive effect of participation in sports, but reducing body fat too greatly can cause health problems. Athletes should try to maintain their body fat at the lowest healthy level to achieve their best performance.
Athletes at the elite level will sometimes attempt to temporarily lower their body fat to unhealthy levels to give themselves an edge in important competitions. Afterwards they will regain the lost fat, and return to their normal training weight. This technique should not be attempted without knowledge of periodization and the help of a knowlegable coach and medical advice.
Children and teenagers should be cautioned to avoid losing weight at excessive quick rates or to excessively low levels the way adult athletes may choose to. Young bodies require additional nutrients to grow. Weight-cutting techniques can interfere with healthy physical development.
When dieting or exercising it is impossible to lose only fat; muscle is always lost at the same time.
Some athletes desiring rapid weight loss may choose to sacrifice muscle mass by eating a low protein diet. However, most athletes are interested in maximizing fat loss while minimizing muscle loss.
The best way to minimize muscle loss while losing weight is through resistance training. If emphasis is being placed on aerobic training, resistance training will be a smaller part of the athlete’s training program, promoting greater muscle loss. Muscle growth cannot be expected unless emphasis is placed on resistance training, but muscle loss can at least be slowed. After a period of weight loss, athletes may wish to do a period of weight training to recover lost muscle.
The athlete should remember to eat protein at all meals, especially before aerobic exercise. This will help slow muscle loss. Some athletes may choose to use supplements to minimize muscle loss; Glutamine is a popular choice.
About 71% of the human body is made of water under normal conditions. This makes it tempting for athletes to temporarily lose weight through dehydration prior to weigh-ins. This weight can then be rapidly regained immediately afterwards.
A good rule of thumb for most athletes is to lose no more than 5% of their total body weight through dehydration. Athletes at an elite level often lose more than this. This should not be attempted without a knowlegable coach and medical supervision.
Starting a week before competition day, athletes can avoid ingesting salt and potassium. This will make their bodies retain less water. Starting a day before competition, athletes can also avoid eating or drinking any more than necessary.
Immediately before weigh-ins, athletes can put on warm clothes and engage in aerobic exercise to make themselves sweat. Garbage bags can be worn against the skin to eliminate cooling through sweat evaporation.
Some athletes choose to sit in a sauna so that they can sweat without wasting energy. Another technique is to chew gum to induce salivation, then to spit out the saliva instead of swallowing it.
Athletes should remember to urinate and defecate as this is an easy way to reduce weight. Some athletes may choose to take diuretics and laxatives to aid in this. It should be noted that some diuretics are banned by the WADA in events such as the Olympics, and that some may have harmful effects on the body.
After weigh-ins, athletes should immediately begin rehydration. Some sporting events hold weigh-ins on the day before competition; others hold weigh-ins on the same day, only hours before competition. In this short amount of time, complete rehydration may not be possible. For this reason, dehydration techniques should be used in moderation.
Athletes should continuously sip liquid until they compete. Rehydration cannot be achieved in a single sitting.
The best drink for rehydration is not pure water. The body requires electrolytes in order to retain water. An oral rehydration solution is the best choice. Sports drinks also work, but contain excessive sugar that may negativly affect performence. Another possible choice is V8 juice and water.
Perhaps no sport is so associated with weight cutting in the public imagination as wrestling. For years, wrestlers worked out in trash bags or rubber suits- practices that have since been banned by most governing bodies. After three wrestlers died cutting weight in 1997, the NCAA instituted new guidelines for the practice. Before the start of the season, wrestlers must undergo hydration tests and body-fat assessments and have their lowest possible weight class approved by a physician.
Most state high school athletic associations have some variation of this rule, and most states allow a weight allowance (ie, the 135 lb. weight class becomes 137) at some point in the season. Still, problems persist. One tragic example is the case of Moses Naylor, a wrestler from Cathedral High School in Massachusetts who collapsed and suffered a stroke during the All-State championships in 2004. It was reported that he had cut from 25-30 pounds in the last week.
Weight cutting. (2006, June 29). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:27, June 29, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Weight_cutting&oldid=61132918.
