PowerPoint can be used to create a working visual representation of an application with links that are clickable and which then take you to the resulting screen (another slide).
If you took a screen shot of the Google search page with a query for "space", you could put that on one slide. Then you could take a screen shot of what the google results are for 'space' after you clicked "Search". Then on the first screen, you could use the following process to make the area around the "Search" button clickable and take you to the next slide with the search results, so it feels like you are actually performing the search.
Have something you want to click on, like a link or a 'Confirm' button.
Insert a shape from the toolbar (probably a rectangle or circle/oval).
Make sure it is filled (otherwise it won't be clickable).
Set it to transparent.
Then move the transparent shape over the button or word you want to click.
With the transparent shape selected, click on 'Insert' then 'Action'. You can then choose what you want clicking on it to do.
You can select another PowerPoint slide from the list of things, like playing a sound, etc.
So clicking on the 'Confirm' button you created, will then advance the PowerPoint slideshow to another slide that has the resulting confirmation screen.
During a presentation, the cursur will turn into a finger and allow you to click on this.
You can then have the invisible shape clicked on,
Office also has dropdowns and stuff you can add to make it look like an application. It's recommended that you use the Active X ones so you can move them around more easily. You will have to add the 'Developer' tab to see them. See the link below to see how to turn that on.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vstudio/bb608625.aspx
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Vacuum cleaners & Dyson DC23 vs Dyson DC39 Animal Plus: A detailed look at the differences
This page is a work in progress. Sorry!
To understand vacuum cleaners, you have to understand different theories between cleaning.
There are direct air vacuums (large motors) and bypass vacuums (smaller motors). Direct air vacuums include the metal Sanitaire, Kirby and the Metal Royal models. Bypass vacuums include most of the plastic vacuum cleaners you come across, Dirt Devil, Bissel, and Dyson.
Among those, there are also bagged, bagless, and also water filtered.
Direct air vacuums are old designs that use large motors, bags you will need to regularly throw out and replace, belts that will need to be replaced, usually a metal head, and violent beater bar. The result though is that they do a very good job of picking up things on carpeting, better than most of the bypass vacuums like the vacuum cleaners with built in hoses like most Dirt Devils, Bissels, and yes, even Dysons. They also tend to lass 20+ years. To my knowledge, all direct air vacuums use bags.
Bypass vacuums
Bagged vacuums: The nice things about bagged vaccums is that the dust and debris gets packed in the bag, so you don't have to change the bag after every use unlike, how you may want to dump the canister on a bagless vacuum after you use it. However, you do have to buy new bags for vacuums. Who wants to spend more money than you have to? Also, most bagged vaccums like some Dirt Devils (except for the Miele which may have the best HEPA filtration at the .3 Micron level at 99.99% vs the bagless Dyson at 99.89% or so, and maybe the Electrolux, and maybe the Kirby), tend to have bags that allow dust to escape back into the air. Here is the link to the Vacuum Filtration Study showing Miele and Dyson raking #1 and #2.
Bagless vacuums: So they require more maintenance
Kirby: made of aluminum, it picks up things from the carpeting quite well. it is heavy and not easy to do stairs with.
I haven't researched Elextrolux yet, but from what I've seen, the Miele S7 is one of the better bypass vacuums. It does have bags and a filter you have to replace.
Dyson vacuum cleaners in general are made to be durable and lighter weight than many competitors. The motors are not made for commercial use though, so they may not last as long as some others, but they do seem much better built and faster/easier to maintain than the average Dirt Devil since the Dysons can be broken down to manageble pieces just with clips, or a twist using a quarter. Since they are lighter weight, they may graze over some items something like a heavier Kirby would get immediately, but that light weight makes them so much more maneuverable and easy to work with on stairs, ceiling fans, and there are several additional attachments, albeit generally expensive attachments, you can purchase so you can use it the way you want to.
Pro: Lightweight. Versitile because of all the extensions and hoses. Good for stairs. Higher suction than many other plastic competitors.
Con: Cleaning them can be a pain, but less of a pain that cleaning some other bag less or even cheap bagged vacuums.
Here is a detailed look at two Dyson canister vacuums. You'll get a good idea about the brand and what to expect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_87qQqDYgA
The Dyson DC23
Suction
DC23 = 220 air watts vs the DC39 = 275 air watts (25% increase)
Mobility
DC23 rears up on it's back two wheels. It has three wheels total. DC39 with a ball like stance and 5 wheels stays more level. Both can get caught on corners. The DC39 is easier to tug along. DC39 also seems little more stable on stairs.
Kirby
This is an older premium brand with a heavy steel head. My grandparents in Wisconsin have one because they bought it thinking it was one of the most hygenic and best cleaners. The heavy head and brush bar do dig into the carpet and pull quite a bit up. But how much of the dust is dust and how much of it is carpet? It uses a bag that can supposedly filter out .1 micron allergens. Too heavy for stairs or even a multi-floor home in my opinion. I don't know if it somes with extesions for corners and stuff either, but it will pick up a lot of stuff on the first pass probably better than a Dyson or another lighter vacuum. The heavy head pushes the brush bar into the floor more and I think that causes better pickup than a light weight vacuum that just glides on top of the carpet. It just isn't a very flexible machine.
Here is an ad video for Kirby. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yczxUJLPhkg
Rainbow
My mom and dad used to use a shop vac because it was cheap and something my dad thought worked well because it had good suction. It didn't because the extensions weren't super practical for a home and there was no brush bar for carpeting. It was also so loud it made my mom want to cry and brobably didn't have a brush bar for carpeting. A Rainbow vacuum cleaner salesman they knew from church asked if he could come over, and since they were in the market for a vacuum he came over. He put water int he tank and turned the machine on without vacuuming anything. After a little while he took the Rainbow vacuum canister apart so they could look at the half gallon of water he had poured into it. It was already getting cloudy just by filtering the air. He showed how it could be used to suck up water, blow air, and pick up stuff our vacuum cleaner missed. (Any vacuum will pick up something from carpeting even after being vacuumed by another, or even the same vacuum. There is a YouTube video titled "Whoever vacuums last wins." They spend a small fortune on it and figured it was worth it because dust allergies ran in the family and the water filtered those out. My mom packed the extensions away and doesn't know where she put them. She just uses the brush head and twists it off to use the hose to get corners. They have a 1986 D4C and it still runs. It may have needed to be serviced once or twice in 26 years. She says it was a good investment. At $1,500-$2600 today ($600 for a refurbished older model) I understand why she doesn't want to get rid of it.
To understand vacuum cleaners, you have to understand different theories between cleaning.
There are direct air vacuums (large motors) and bypass vacuums (smaller motors). Direct air vacuums include the metal Sanitaire, Kirby and the Metal Royal models. Bypass vacuums include most of the plastic vacuum cleaners you come across, Dirt Devil, Bissel, and Dyson.
Among those, there are also bagged, bagless, and also water filtered.
Direct air vacuums are old designs that use large motors, bags you will need to regularly throw out and replace, belts that will need to be replaced, usually a metal head, and violent beater bar. The result though is that they do a very good job of picking up things on carpeting, better than most of the bypass vacuums like the vacuum cleaners with built in hoses like most Dirt Devils, Bissels, and yes, even Dysons. They also tend to lass 20+ years. To my knowledge, all direct air vacuums use bags.
Bypass vacuums
Bagged vacuums: The nice things about bagged vaccums is that the dust and debris gets packed in the bag, so you don't have to change the bag after every use unlike, how you may want to dump the canister on a bagless vacuum after you use it. However, you do have to buy new bags for vacuums. Who wants to spend more money than you have to? Also, most bagged vaccums like some Dirt Devils (except for the Miele which may have the best HEPA filtration at the .3 Micron level at 99.99% vs the bagless Dyson at 99.89% or so, and maybe the Electrolux, and maybe the Kirby), tend to have bags that allow dust to escape back into the air. Here is the link to the Vacuum Filtration Study showing Miele and Dyson raking #1 and #2.
Bagless vacuums: So they require more maintenance
Kirby: made of aluminum, it picks up things from the carpeting quite well. it is heavy and not easy to do stairs with.
I haven't researched Elextrolux yet, but from what I've seen, the Miele S7 is one of the better bypass vacuums. It does have bags and a filter you have to replace.
Dyson vacuum cleaners in general are made to be durable and lighter weight than many competitors. The motors are not made for commercial use though, so they may not last as long as some others, but they do seem much better built and faster/easier to maintain than the average Dirt Devil since the Dysons can be broken down to manageble pieces just with clips, or a twist using a quarter. Since they are lighter weight, they may graze over some items something like a heavier Kirby would get immediately, but that light weight makes them so much more maneuverable and easy to work with on stairs, ceiling fans, and there are several additional attachments, albeit generally expensive attachments, you can purchase so you can use it the way you want to.
Pro: Lightweight. Versitile because of all the extensions and hoses. Good for stairs. Higher suction than many other plastic competitors.
Con: Cleaning them can be a pain, but less of a pain that cleaning some other bag less or even cheap bagged vacuums.
Here is a detailed look at two Dyson canister vacuums. You'll get a good idea about the brand and what to expect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_87qQqDYgA
The Dyson DC23
Suction
DC23 = 220 air watts vs the DC39 = 275 air watts (25% increase)
Mobility
DC23 rears up on it's back two wheels. It has three wheels total. DC39 with a ball like stance and 5 wheels stays more level. Both can get caught on corners. The DC39 is easier to tug along. DC39 also seems little more stable on stairs.
Kirby
This is an older premium brand with a heavy steel head. My grandparents in Wisconsin have one because they bought it thinking it was one of the most hygenic and best cleaners. The heavy head and brush bar do dig into the carpet and pull quite a bit up. But how much of the dust is dust and how much of it is carpet? It uses a bag that can supposedly filter out .1 micron allergens. Too heavy for stairs or even a multi-floor home in my opinion. I don't know if it somes with extesions for corners and stuff either, but it will pick up a lot of stuff on the first pass probably better than a Dyson or another lighter vacuum. The heavy head pushes the brush bar into the floor more and I think that causes better pickup than a light weight vacuum that just glides on top of the carpet. It just isn't a very flexible machine.
Here is an ad video for Kirby. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yczxUJLPhkg
Rainbow
My mom and dad used to use a shop vac because it was cheap and something my dad thought worked well because it had good suction. It didn't because the extensions weren't super practical for a home and there was no brush bar for carpeting. It was also so loud it made my mom want to cry and brobably didn't have a brush bar for carpeting. A Rainbow vacuum cleaner salesman they knew from church asked if he could come over, and since they were in the market for a vacuum he came over. He put water int he tank and turned the machine on without vacuuming anything. After a little while he took the Rainbow vacuum canister apart so they could look at the half gallon of water he had poured into it. It was already getting cloudy just by filtering the air. He showed how it could be used to suck up water, blow air, and pick up stuff our vacuum cleaner missed. (Any vacuum will pick up something from carpeting even after being vacuumed by another, or even the same vacuum. There is a YouTube video titled "Whoever vacuums last wins." They spend a small fortune on it and figured it was worth it because dust allergies ran in the family and the water filtered those out. My mom packed the extensions away and doesn't know where she put them. She just uses the brush head and twists it off to use the hose to get corners. They have a 1986 D4C and it still runs. It may have needed to be serviced once or twice in 26 years. She says it was a good investment. At $1,500-$2600 today ($600 for a refurbished older model) I understand why she doesn't want to get rid of it.
Monday, March 11, 2013
My Unique Apartment Manager
When I moved here, I was told her had a guy that was unemployed, so he was always home which was good because he could sign for packages. He also would fix the place up when something was broken.
I have had many strange encounters with this guy, all learning experiences.
March, 2013
Mike called me up and asked if I wanted to make $10. I said, sure. Every time I do something for him, I learn something, or at least get a story out of it. He said to run to Walgreens to get some white out, then to stop by the liqueur store to buy two 6 packs of Natural Ice ($3.49) and a pack of Marlboro Reds (over $10). After city, state, and local taxes, it came up to over $20. The white out was about $2.50 for two bottles.
This was the first time I did a beer run for him and didn't tell him that he should be getting something healthy, like a smoothie, or some fruit. Last time I said that he said he had fruity ice cream.
I stopped at a Mr. Sub shop I had passed by and asked what she would recommend. the worker there said that.
After showing him how to work his Internet TV, he said, "I want to make something real clear to you. If you do anything to anything in this apartment... and he used his hand to slice his throat. He then started opening and clenching his fist and started saying,"Bye Bye." "If you want to live somewhere else, that's fine with me." I had a confused look on my face.
I have had many strange encounters with this guy, all learning experiences.
March, 2013
Mike called me up and asked if I wanted to make $10. I said, sure. Every time I do something for him, I learn something, or at least get a story out of it. He said to run to Walgreens to get some white out, then to stop by the liqueur store to buy two 6 packs of Natural Ice ($3.49) and a pack of Marlboro Reds (over $10). After city, state, and local taxes, it came up to over $20. The white out was about $2.50 for two bottles.
This was the first time I did a beer run for him and didn't tell him that he should be getting something healthy, like a smoothie, or some fruit. Last time I said that he said he had fruity ice cream.
I stopped at a Mr. Sub shop I had passed by and asked what she would recommend. the worker there said that.
After showing him how to work his Internet TV, he said, "I want to make something real clear to you. If you do anything to anything in this apartment... and he used his hand to slice his throat. He then started opening and clenching his fist and started saying,"Bye Bye." "If you want to live somewhere else, that's fine with me." I had a confused look on my face.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Things I like/have and why
Vacuum
Dyson DC39 Animal Plus
Why? No maintenance costs = no bags or filters to buy. HEPA air filtration. Good suction at 275 air watts. Lots of tools. Not as loud as some other vacuums. Looks cool. :-) can place on my bed to get to the corners of my room. Also see this video I created comparing the DC39 Animal Plus to the DC23 which I bought the DC39 to replace. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_87qQqDYgA
Cons: I spent $300 on a vacuum (that retails for $500-550 because of the additional attachments)
I picked the Dyson because no bags or filters needed to be purchased. The HEPA filter rating demos shows no pollutants in the air that came out. I grew up with a canister vacuum, a Rainbow (Rainbow is an even more expensive vacuum brand that uses water to filter out debris and dust. It's kind of annoying to fill it up and dump the water outside each time you use it. You then have to hand pick up the garbage a day later from where you dumped it... I hated that part. But my mom likes it. She has to considering how much she must have spent on it. But other than plastic clips being broken on the sides, so you have to be careful not to pick it up from the top handle, but by the base otherwise the top half will pull apart from the water canister, or it might spill, or something, and it being heavy, it probably isn't a bad option. http://rainbowsystem.com/rainbow-system/how-it-works/) from the 1980s my mom continues to use 20+ years later.
I started off with the Dyson DC26 I bought online for $207 because I thought it would be good for an apartment, but it didn't have enough suction at only 160 air watts, the canister filled up way too quickly, and the fancy brush bar got stuff tangled in it after every other use.
I then bought a DC23 Canister from a Dyson employee who showed me how to use all the features, clean it out, etc. It was bigger than I expected, but managed to carry it in two IKEA bags on the handlebars on my bike for about 4 miles. I generally liked it, but I would have to go over some things twice for it to suck them up. The brush bar didn't get stuff caught in it as much, but it didn't do large things super well with the Turbinehead. After about a year, the Turbinehead started spinning really slowly despite disassembling it, cleaning it, etc. I couldn't completely disassemble it because of one final screw in a very awkward spot. Because I was the second owner and the registration was in someone else's name, Dyson said they couldn't replace it for free.
Watch
Tissot T-Touch Z251/351 (Silver face edition instead of the black. I originally had the black. Took it off to shower when camping with some friends. One rushed me, and I left it there because I had my towel over it and didn't see it as I left. 15 minutes later when I went back. it was gone. The silver face seems more professional anyway.)
http://watchhunter.ca/Watch-Hunter-For-Sale-Used-Tissot-T-Touch-Z251-TISS13.html
Why? It's a water resistant Touch screen Swiss watch that has a thermometer, baromatric pressure, altimeter, stopwatch, compass, and alarm. Also it's in a smaller size than current models.
I haven't seen a more awesome or practical watch yet. The compass can get thrown off a little too easily though. Also, it can cost $40 to replace the battery and have it pressure tested to maintain it's water resistant seal. I just popped in a new battery myself for $5 and had to give a guy $10 to put the back back on because it was too tough for my hands to do. He said I should pay him more for the pressure test, but I figured it was fine. I accidentally went swimming with it afterward and it was fine. Still slightly worried though.
Computer
Currently 2011 15" MacBook Pro 2.3GHz quad-core Intel i7, 1GB video card, Hi-Res glossy screen , 16 GB RAM, 480 GB Intel Extreme SSD. Bought with an issue (-$700) then sold (+$900) then re-bought fixed (-$600) from the guy that fixed it who said it had bad karma, so he had to get rid of it at a loss. Not joking. Soon after, the charger in an overhead plug on Megabus became dislodged and made some small dents near the track pad. I also got a dent on the top of it as well. I then spent about $75 on the 16Gb RAM, $340ish on the 480 GB SSD =$815. I could sell it in Early 2013 for probably $1,650. It is so hard to find a 2012 MacBook Pro with a hi-res screen and 1 GB video card to replace it though.
Why? The video card is strong enough for HD video editing in a reasonable amount of time. The Quad core is nice for running virtual machines. The hi-Res screen is good because I multitask and like seeing several things at once. The SSD hard drive makes things open WAY faster (17 second boot up time.). It it isn't perfect though. Chrome crashes when playing some video. Sometimes it becomes unresponsive. But hey, I haven't been on a computer that doesn't.
I tend to upgrade to the notch above entry level 15" (because of the better video card) once used ones hit the market at a decent price, so I can buy the new one for what I sell my old one for and not spend any money on the upgrade.
Printer
HP Officejet Pro 8600
The one thing it doesn't do is scan both sides of duplex printed paper. To get that feature, you'd have to buy the next step up which was considerably more expensive. It just has a lot of features, and in a time crunch, you may find yourself needing some of them.It has low ink costs if you use the extended XL versions of the ink. I was warned though that ink can go bad if you don't use it by a certain time though. It also can print things you e-mail to an e-mail account you set it up with, though sometimes things may get cropped a bit differently than desired, so sayith the reviews.
Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy SIII
$280 on eBay in 2012
After doing a lot of tech spec research, I found out that the GSIII had more frequent OS updates than HTC's Evo 4G, better battery life, marginally better specs, and it seemed ot be the frontrunner that had a removable battery. Something important to me. I go through 2-3 batteries a day if I am not using it for note taking.
I originally had a Motorola RAZR in my early college days, then one of the early pre-Android HTC slide phones (eBay), the LG RUMR briefly in 2009 (eBay?), then the Motorola Hint, which I generally liked except the Internet was stupid slow on U.S. Cellular's 2G connection. In summer 2010 the family got HTC Evo 4G phones the week they were released. A salesman promised my dad a lot of features for these phones, basically free everything. When we got the plan and tried to activate the broadcast WiFi feature, Sprint said we had to pay extra to activate it. I got on the phone with the rep and my dad and recorded the phone call with the disclaimer that the call was being recorded, and recoreded the salesman saying that we had all those features included. about 10 hours of talking with Sprint resulted in me compiling the cost of the features for 2 years for 5 phones and it turned out to me nearly $6,000 in extras. Sprint credited our account by the $5,960ish I had calculated and may have charged the salesman with the bill. I'm not sure. It was suggested that it may have happened weeks later, or that the rep wasn't at that console anymore or something. Anyway, if it hadn't been that we weren't paying Sprint bills for so many months, I would have switched to Verizon when they had the short opening of Unlimited data for the same price as Sprint. They said whatever deal you have with Sprint, we can beat. I said, a $3,000 remaining credit toward out future bills... and the Verizon guy's face dropped. Verizon seems to have better 4G coverage and possibly fewer dropped calls.
I used the EVO 4G for so many things, it was amazing. It froze on me regularly though. I probably went through two or three on the protection plan which we added when I started noticing things were starting to go wrong and the price on eBay was $250-$400.
Bed
I bought what was supposed to be a Tempur-Pedic Queen Cloud Supreme on craigslist, but turned out to just be a foam mattress that feel remarkably like the Cloud Supreme except that it will probably start breaking down sooner. I do really like the Cloud Supreme, and may one day get that with the Ergo platform, except that that and my bed are so think, the J.S. Saunders 1500 Thread Count Egyptian cotton sheets I have didn't fit, so now I am using king sized sheets so they don't pull off.
TV
Currently 40" APEX LCD HDTV 60 Hz ($270 Craigslist +$5 gas)
It works fine. I use it as an external monitor for my computer.
Why? It was a cheap price for a 40" 1080p HDTV in 2012. I wanted 1080p so it could display more of my screen than a TV with 720p could. Also, I thought I wanted a 40" because when I went to the Bose store, I asked them what size their TVs were and they said 40". They turned out to actually be 32", but I wasn't disappointed with the bigger screen for streaming movies.
I'm not sure what I should upgrade to. What can a smart TV do that my computer hooked up into it can't?
Games
Settlers of Catan and the multiplayer expansion
Wits and Wagers
Cards Against Humanity and 2 expansion packs
Pictionary
7 Wonders
Balderdash
Apples to Apples
Risk
Starcraft Risk
Dominos
What else should I get?
Rechargable battery brand
Powerex
9v = 230 mAh
AA = 2700 mAh
Why? The mAh on these is among the highest of any brand, meaning more battery life per charge. I tried Duracel and Energizer with a rapid charger, but neither held their charge after maybe 15 charges on a 15 minute charger. Apparently the rapid chargers can overcharge and burn out batteries.
One cheap and awesome thing you can get is a battery tester to see what the voltage is of a mystery battery. I got this battery tester on Amazon for $4.
Alkaline batteries discharge their voltage linearly. Rechargeable batteries initially drop to their rated voltage, then hold that rated voltage for a long time, then drop suddenly when they are dying. One person said that an alkaline battery is dead at 60% of the rated voltage, and 80% is dying.
A 1.5 volt alkaline AA may start a bit higher than 1.5 volts and is supposed to be fine until about 60% of capacity., or 0.9 volts. It dischages linearly, so it is half full at 1.2 volts.
Full = ~1.55 volts
half full = ~1.2 volts
Dead = ~0.9 volts
Though you can argue a battery is dead when a device can't use it anymore, though it may still power a different device, like a flashlight.
A 1.2 volt AA rechargeable battery freshly charged may start off around 1.3-4 volts, initially drop to 1.2 volts and stay there for a long while, about 85%-15% of its charge, and will be on the quick path to dying at 1.0 volts or so.
Here are some rough estimates, but maybe use these as a start as you get to know your battery. Look on the side of your rechargable battery to see what it's rated voltage is. Here is a guide for a standard 1.2 rechargeable AA.
85%-100% =1.4 volts> and >1.25 volts
15%-85% = 1.10> and >1.25 volts (a bit under 1.2 v is still usable)
0%-15% = < 1.10 volts (about when the steep drop off may start)
While most devices that take AA batteries work with both 1.2 v rechargeable AA and 1.5 v alkaline batteries, I know of at least one camera circa 1996, a Japanese Minolta Dimage 7, that only showed low battery and refused to fully turn on with batteries at 1.3 v, but worked fine when the batteries were at 1.5 volts. That's when you get a new camera, because you can only use alkaline batteries that get to the 1.5 v and only from the 100%-90% of their supposed rated life. 1.35v / 1.5v = .9 WHich means only 10% of the battery life was drained before the camera couldn't use the battery anymore.
This is a real concern for waste because other devices can use the remaining 90% of the charge, but I know I'd normally assume the batteries were fully dead and throw them out. Maybe that's why our moms kept half dead batteries in the refrigerator growing up; they would work in other devices.
9 volt alkaline
Full = 9 volts
half full = 7.2 volts
Dead = 5.4 volts
Headphones
Used Bose IE2 ($45 craigslist)
Why? You hear sounds with these you miss with other headphones. They are more comfortable than many other brands as well. These are the most portable of the Bose series.
Camera
New Canon S100
Why? in 2012, Snapsort.com rated it as the highest pocketable camera under $500. It has a larger sensor than almost all the other pocket sized cameras to capture more detail. It has decent video, though the autofocus has let me down a little. You do have to stand more than 5 feet away from someone or else the flash produces white spots on the face. But I guess that happens with any flash. At the time, used Canon S100s were only $25 less.
Cool glassware
Das Boot
Why? watch this YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuDtACzKGRs Enough said. I fill it with water and it makes sure I drink a liter each day. Coincidentally, the Das Boot movie which also shows up in "Das Boot" search results is an amazing WWII movie about the life onboard a German U-Boat. One of my favs.
Bluetooth
Used Third gen Jawbone
I watched this video of the first gen Jawbone and was sold. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrRx805JqM4 Its ok, but it didn't perform as well as I'd hoped though. It resets the volume to the lowest level every time I reconnect it to my Samsung SIII and I think it also did that on my Evo 4G. Haveing the press the vlume up button several times every time I connect it is kind of annoying. I also feel like the sound quality, while fine, it's as good as it could be.
Not sure what the best Bluetooth headset is anymore
Snow Pants
North Face Freedom Insulated Pants (designed for snowboarding, but I typically use them for biking in the rain and snow) I probably paid $120 because of a coupon at REI.
http://www.rei.com/product/819556/the-north-face-freedom-insulated-pants-mens-short
Why? Few things feel as awesome as being able to run through snow and bike through slush without worrying if you will stay dry and not feel the dampness. These regulate temperature with side air vents as well. They were not cheap, but that is why I bought them at REI. I can return them if I don't like them. My qualm with these was that the inside style stitching came off on the right leg due to bike riding. Once that was sewn up by my loving mother and her sewing machine, they have been incredible. I look great in them and I feel like I can go anywhere comfortably in them. They roll up and don't take up much more space than regular rain pants, despite their insulation, and I've never been too hot in them, which seems crazy because of the insulation and the fact that I will wear them when biking in the rain int he summer. I just unsip the side air vents and I'm fine.
Boots
Asolo TPS 520 GV ($65ish used with medium wear to the leather at an REI garage sale which was an amazing find because these are $289 new when not on sale-and for good reason)
http://www.rei.com/product/693828/asolo-tps-520-gv-hiking-boots-mens
Why? Much like my snow pants, I feel incredibly confident when I wear these boots. They are reinforced with a steel shank for heavy backpacking stability, so they are a tad heavier than other boots and the soles are thick, but they are so stable, I never have to worry about rolling my ancle or straining something in my feet. I have walked through a muddy field in a rainstorm with a 65lb backpack in a similar pair of Asolo boots (the Asolo Fugitive which was a good boot, but it just didn't fit my foot right, a cheaper Asolo boot which I returned after buying these full grain leather TPS 520 GV ones) and stayed perfectly dry. They run a tad narrow for my foot, so the sides of my feet aren't always comfortable, but I still feel an incredible sense of being able to do anything, walk anywhere, etc. with them. The full grain leather does show some crazy nicks and scratches from the previous owner, but they are still waterproof and the Vibram sole shows almost no wear.
Dyson DC39 Animal Plus
Why? No maintenance costs = no bags or filters to buy. HEPA air filtration. Good suction at 275 air watts. Lots of tools. Not as loud as some other vacuums. Looks cool. :-) can place on my bed to get to the corners of my room. Also see this video I created comparing the DC39 Animal Plus to the DC23 which I bought the DC39 to replace. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_87qQqDYgA
Cons: I spent $300 on a vacuum (that retails for $500-550 because of the additional attachments)
I picked the Dyson because no bags or filters needed to be purchased. The HEPA filter rating demos shows no pollutants in the air that came out. I grew up with a canister vacuum, a Rainbow (Rainbow is an even more expensive vacuum brand that uses water to filter out debris and dust. It's kind of annoying to fill it up and dump the water outside each time you use it. You then have to hand pick up the garbage a day later from where you dumped it... I hated that part. But my mom likes it. She has to considering how much she must have spent on it. But other than plastic clips being broken on the sides, so you have to be careful not to pick it up from the top handle, but by the base otherwise the top half will pull apart from the water canister, or it might spill, or something, and it being heavy, it probably isn't a bad option. http://rainbowsystem.com/rainbow-system/how-it-works/) from the 1980s my mom continues to use 20+ years later.
I started off with the Dyson DC26 I bought online for $207 because I thought it would be good for an apartment, but it didn't have enough suction at only 160 air watts, the canister filled up way too quickly, and the fancy brush bar got stuff tangled in it after every other use.
I then bought a DC23 Canister from a Dyson employee who showed me how to use all the features, clean it out, etc. It was bigger than I expected, but managed to carry it in two IKEA bags on the handlebars on my bike for about 4 miles. I generally liked it, but I would have to go over some things twice for it to suck them up. The brush bar didn't get stuff caught in it as much, but it didn't do large things super well with the Turbinehead. After about a year, the Turbinehead started spinning really slowly despite disassembling it, cleaning it, etc. I couldn't completely disassemble it because of one final screw in a very awkward spot. Because I was the second owner and the registration was in someone else's name, Dyson said they couldn't replace it for free.
Watch
Tissot T-Touch Z251/351 (Silver face edition instead of the black. I originally had the black. Took it off to shower when camping with some friends. One rushed me, and I left it there because I had my towel over it and didn't see it as I left. 15 minutes later when I went back. it was gone. The silver face seems more professional anyway.)
http://watchhunter.ca/Watch-Hunter-For-Sale-Used-Tissot-T-Touch-Z251-TISS13.html
Why? It's a water resistant Touch screen Swiss watch that has a thermometer, baromatric pressure, altimeter, stopwatch, compass, and alarm. Also it's in a smaller size than current models.
I haven't seen a more awesome or practical watch yet. The compass can get thrown off a little too easily though. Also, it can cost $40 to replace the battery and have it pressure tested to maintain it's water resistant seal. I just popped in a new battery myself for $5 and had to give a guy $10 to put the back back on because it was too tough for my hands to do. He said I should pay him more for the pressure test, but I figured it was fine. I accidentally went swimming with it afterward and it was fine. Still slightly worried though.
Computer
Currently 2011 15" MacBook Pro 2.3GHz quad-core Intel i7, 1GB video card, Hi-Res glossy screen , 16 GB RAM, 480 GB Intel Extreme SSD. Bought with an issue (-$700) then sold (+$900) then re-bought fixed (-$600) from the guy that fixed it who said it had bad karma, so he had to get rid of it at a loss. Not joking. Soon after, the charger in an overhead plug on Megabus became dislodged and made some small dents near the track pad. I also got a dent on the top of it as well. I then spent about $75 on the 16Gb RAM, $340ish on the 480 GB SSD =$815. I could sell it in Early 2013 for probably $1,650. It is so hard to find a 2012 MacBook Pro with a hi-res screen and 1 GB video card to replace it though.
Why? The video card is strong enough for HD video editing in a reasonable amount of time. The Quad core is nice for running virtual machines. The hi-Res screen is good because I multitask and like seeing several things at once. The SSD hard drive makes things open WAY faster (17 second boot up time.). It it isn't perfect though. Chrome crashes when playing some video. Sometimes it becomes unresponsive. But hey, I haven't been on a computer that doesn't.
I tend to upgrade to the notch above entry level 15" (because of the better video card) once used ones hit the market at a decent price, so I can buy the new one for what I sell my old one for and not spend any money on the upgrade.
Printer
HP Officejet Pro 8600
The one thing it doesn't do is scan both sides of duplex printed paper. To get that feature, you'd have to buy the next step up which was considerably more expensive. It just has a lot of features, and in a time crunch, you may find yourself needing some of them.It has low ink costs if you use the extended XL versions of the ink. I was warned though that ink can go bad if you don't use it by a certain time though. It also can print things you e-mail to an e-mail account you set it up with, though sometimes things may get cropped a bit differently than desired, so sayith the reviews.
Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy SIII
$280 on eBay in 2012
After doing a lot of tech spec research, I found out that the GSIII had more frequent OS updates than HTC's Evo 4G, better battery life, marginally better specs, and it seemed ot be the frontrunner that had a removable battery. Something important to me. I go through 2-3 batteries a day if I am not using it for note taking.
I originally had a Motorola RAZR in my early college days, then one of the early pre-Android HTC slide phones (eBay), the LG RUMR briefly in 2009 (eBay?), then the Motorola Hint, which I generally liked except the Internet was stupid slow on U.S. Cellular's 2G connection. In summer 2010 the family got HTC Evo 4G phones the week they were released. A salesman promised my dad a lot of features for these phones, basically free everything. When we got the plan and tried to activate the broadcast WiFi feature, Sprint said we had to pay extra to activate it. I got on the phone with the rep and my dad and recorded the phone call with the disclaimer that the call was being recorded, and recoreded the salesman saying that we had all those features included. about 10 hours of talking with Sprint resulted in me compiling the cost of the features for 2 years for 5 phones and it turned out to me nearly $6,000 in extras. Sprint credited our account by the $5,960ish I had calculated and may have charged the salesman with the bill. I'm not sure. It was suggested that it may have happened weeks later, or that the rep wasn't at that console anymore or something. Anyway, if it hadn't been that we weren't paying Sprint bills for so many months, I would have switched to Verizon when they had the short opening of Unlimited data for the same price as Sprint. They said whatever deal you have with Sprint, we can beat. I said, a $3,000 remaining credit toward out future bills... and the Verizon guy's face dropped. Verizon seems to have better 4G coverage and possibly fewer dropped calls.
I used the EVO 4G for so many things, it was amazing. It froze on me regularly though. I probably went through two or three on the protection plan which we added when I started noticing things were starting to go wrong and the price on eBay was $250-$400.
Bed
I bought what was supposed to be a Tempur-Pedic Queen Cloud Supreme on craigslist, but turned out to just be a foam mattress that feel remarkably like the Cloud Supreme except that it will probably start breaking down sooner. I do really like the Cloud Supreme, and may one day get that with the Ergo platform, except that that and my bed are so think, the J.S. Saunders 1500 Thread Count Egyptian cotton sheets I have didn't fit, so now I am using king sized sheets so they don't pull off.
TV
Currently 40" APEX LCD HDTV 60 Hz ($270 Craigslist +$5 gas)
It works fine. I use it as an external monitor for my computer.
Why? It was a cheap price for a 40" 1080p HDTV in 2012. I wanted 1080p so it could display more of my screen than a TV with 720p could. Also, I thought I wanted a 40" because when I went to the Bose store, I asked them what size their TVs were and they said 40". They turned out to actually be 32", but I wasn't disappointed with the bigger screen for streaming movies.
I'm not sure what I should upgrade to. What can a smart TV do that my computer hooked up into it can't?
Games
Settlers of Catan and the multiplayer expansion
Wits and Wagers
Cards Against Humanity and 2 expansion packs
Pictionary
7 Wonders
Balderdash
Apples to Apples
Risk
Starcraft Risk
Dominos
What else should I get?
Rechargable battery brand
Powerex
9v = 230 mAh
AA = 2700 mAh
Why? The mAh on these is among the highest of any brand, meaning more battery life per charge. I tried Duracel and Energizer with a rapid charger, but neither held their charge after maybe 15 charges on a 15 minute charger. Apparently the rapid chargers can overcharge and burn out batteries.
One cheap and awesome thing you can get is a battery tester to see what the voltage is of a mystery battery. I got this battery tester on Amazon for $4.
Alkaline batteries discharge their voltage linearly. Rechargeable batteries initially drop to their rated voltage, then hold that rated voltage for a long time, then drop suddenly when they are dying. One person said that an alkaline battery is dead at 60% of the rated voltage, and 80% is dying.
A 1.5 volt alkaline AA may start a bit higher than 1.5 volts and is supposed to be fine until about 60% of capacity., or 0.9 volts. It dischages linearly, so it is half full at 1.2 volts.
Full = ~1.55 volts
half full = ~1.2 volts
Dead = ~0.9 volts
Though you can argue a battery is dead when a device can't use it anymore, though it may still power a different device, like a flashlight.
A 1.2 volt AA rechargeable battery freshly charged may start off around 1.3-4 volts, initially drop to 1.2 volts and stay there for a long while, about 85%-15% of its charge, and will be on the quick path to dying at 1.0 volts or so.
Here are some rough estimates, but maybe use these as a start as you get to know your battery. Look on the side of your rechargable battery to see what it's rated voltage is. Here is a guide for a standard 1.2 rechargeable AA.
85%-100% =1.4 volts> and >1.25 volts
15%-85% = 1.10> and >1.25 volts (a bit under 1.2 v is still usable)
0%-15% = < 1.10 volts (about when the steep drop off may start)
While most devices that take AA batteries work with both 1.2 v rechargeable AA and 1.5 v alkaline batteries, I know of at least one camera circa 1996, a Japanese Minolta Dimage 7, that only showed low battery and refused to fully turn on with batteries at 1.3 v, but worked fine when the batteries were at 1.5 volts. That's when you get a new camera, because you can only use alkaline batteries that get to the 1.5 v and only from the 100%-90% of their supposed rated life. 1.35v / 1.5v = .9 WHich means only 10% of the battery life was drained before the camera couldn't use the battery anymore.
This is a real concern for waste because other devices can use the remaining 90% of the charge, but I know I'd normally assume the batteries were fully dead and throw them out. Maybe that's why our moms kept half dead batteries in the refrigerator growing up; they would work in other devices.
9 volt alkaline
Full = 9 volts
half full = 7.2 volts
Dead = 5.4 volts
Headphones
Used Bose IE2 ($45 craigslist)
Why? You hear sounds with these you miss with other headphones. They are more comfortable than many other brands as well. These are the most portable of the Bose series.
Camera
New Canon S100
Why? in 2012, Snapsort.com rated it as the highest pocketable camera under $500. It has a larger sensor than almost all the other pocket sized cameras to capture more detail. It has decent video, though the autofocus has let me down a little. You do have to stand more than 5 feet away from someone or else the flash produces white spots on the face. But I guess that happens with any flash. At the time, used Canon S100s were only $25 less.
Cool glassware
Das Boot
Why? watch this YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuDtACzKGRs Enough said. I fill it with water and it makes sure I drink a liter each day. Coincidentally, the Das Boot movie which also shows up in "Das Boot" search results is an amazing WWII movie about the life onboard a German U-Boat. One of my favs.
Bluetooth
Used Third gen Jawbone
I watched this video of the first gen Jawbone and was sold. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrRx805JqM4 Its ok, but it didn't perform as well as I'd hoped though. It resets the volume to the lowest level every time I reconnect it to my Samsung SIII and I think it also did that on my Evo 4G. Haveing the press the vlume up button several times every time I connect it is kind of annoying. I also feel like the sound quality, while fine, it's as good as it could be.
Not sure what the best Bluetooth headset is anymore
Snow Pants
North Face Freedom Insulated Pants (designed for snowboarding, but I typically use them for biking in the rain and snow) I probably paid $120 because of a coupon at REI.
http://www.rei.com/product/819556/the-north-face-freedom-insulated-pants-mens-short
Why? Few things feel as awesome as being able to run through snow and bike through slush without worrying if you will stay dry and not feel the dampness. These regulate temperature with side air vents as well. They were not cheap, but that is why I bought them at REI. I can return them if I don't like them. My qualm with these was that the inside style stitching came off on the right leg due to bike riding. Once that was sewn up by my loving mother and her sewing machine, they have been incredible. I look great in them and I feel like I can go anywhere comfortably in them. They roll up and don't take up much more space than regular rain pants, despite their insulation, and I've never been too hot in them, which seems crazy because of the insulation and the fact that I will wear them when biking in the rain int he summer. I just unsip the side air vents and I'm fine.
Boots
Asolo TPS 520 GV ($65ish used with medium wear to the leather at an REI garage sale which was an amazing find because these are $289 new when not on sale-and for good reason)
http://www.rei.com/product/693828/asolo-tps-520-gv-hiking-boots-mens
Why? Much like my snow pants, I feel incredibly confident when I wear these boots. They are reinforced with a steel shank for heavy backpacking stability, so they are a tad heavier than other boots and the soles are thick, but they are so stable, I never have to worry about rolling my ancle or straining something in my feet. I have walked through a muddy field in a rainstorm with a 65lb backpack in a similar pair of Asolo boots (the Asolo Fugitive which was a good boot, but it just didn't fit my foot right, a cheaper Asolo boot which I returned after buying these full grain leather TPS 520 GV ones) and stayed perfectly dry. They run a tad narrow for my foot, so the sides of my feet aren't always comfortable, but I still feel an incredible sense of being able to do anything, walk anywhere, etc. with them. The full grain leather does show some crazy nicks and scratches from the previous owner, but they are still waterproof and the Vibram sole shows almost no wear.
Thoughts about the Galaxy SIII in comparison to the HTC Evo 4G
The short...
The Samsung SIII is three years newer, faster, but doesn't include many NEW features that you'd use every day, unless you want to try the S Voice and sharing things with other people who also have an SIII that are nearby. The SIII has a few gesture options which may or may not be super practical, like an option to automatically call someone when you look at their contact info and then raise the phone to your ear kind of stuff. I find that more accidental things occur with this kind of stuff right now. In the future, maybe the kinks will be worked out. Although the Evo does not have a screen shot option, the SIII has two, sliding your hand from one side of the screen to the other or pressing the power and middle center button at the same time (at least with the 2013 February/March update). But it starts up faster, has better battery life, applications open faster, the speaker is louder, and the touch screen is generally more reliable in that it doesn't freeze up as often.
The Samsung keyboard doesn't automatically autocorrect misspellings though like the HTC does. I recommend the free 'Go Keyboard' and to play with the settings until you get it the way you like it if you use the Samsung. I hated all the typos I had with the Samsung stock keyboard more than minor qualms with the HTC and Go Keyboards.
The Evo runs on 4G WiMax, which is good in the short term if your city doesn't have 4G LTE, like St. Louis, though WiMax is "old" and the new towers being put into the Sprint network are most likely only going to be LTE. So future you may want the LTE, but you can always sell your phone and buy a different one on eBay.
The HTC Ego 4G's screen would freeze during use, and sometimes when trying to answer the phone. Sometimes the phone would not recognize touch tones, so like when I have to "Press 1" to answer a call on Google Voice, it was hit or miss. This happens less frequently with Samsung SIII.
Speed: The HTC Evo 4G is three years older has a 1 GHz processor vs the Samsung Galaxy SIII has a dual core 1.5 GHz processor in the US (Europe has an even faster quad core processor).
The Evo 4G is stuck on an old version of Android. Not a huge deal, because I haven't been majorly impressed by any of the updates. I would just find apps to let me do what some of the updates did, like juice plotter would tell me info about my battery use and consumption rates, a feature that was incorporated into the newer Android versions, but not as well as Juice Pltter does, at least in my opinion. Juice Pltter also lets you know how long something will take to chrage. I does give you a battery life estimate, but I find it to often be off looking at the battery usage graph with hours and minutes and battery percentages is very useful to me.
The difference between 4g WiMax and the new 4G LTE
4G anything means it is faster than 3G. The 4G speeds are fast enough for you to video chat, and are very welcome if your 3G connection is too slow to use at that minute, which can happen. On 4G WiMax, there is a widget toggle you can use to choose when to turn on your 4G on your phone to try and look for a network. When the 4G is used, it drains your battery pretty quickly. On 4G LTE, there was a setting, at least on my Samsung Galaxy SIII, where I had to change the networks it looks for by settings-More Settings-Mobile Network from the default of 'CDMA' to 'LTE / CDMA'. This will allow the phone to automatically connect to an LTE network if it senses one. There is no manual switch to look for a 4G network like onteh WiMax Evo 4G.
The HTC Evo was great for its time because it was the first Android smartphone to include 4G speeds. Sprint used WiMax 4G for this phone when it was released in 2010. Sprint, leaving their WiMax towers up, at least for now, but are now focusing on setting up LTE 4G towers, the next generation of 4G which uses a lower frequency band acquired by Sprint in the Nextel merger so in theory the 4G signal can penetrate more walls and provide better coverage. That is at least what the guy at the Sprint store told me.
Both phones can connect to the same 3G network. Currently, some areas only get 3G speeds, which vary from too slow to use to occasionally good enough to video chat. Using the speedtest.net app, I have gotten download speeds between .056 Mbps and one or two times as fast as 3.16 Mbps, but generally the 3G speeds are about .75 MBps in my experience in the Chicago and St. Louis areas, which is slow, at least compared to your home connection of DSL or cable which clock in around 3MBpsto 20Mbps, but generally usable for mobile sites which take less time to load than full sites, but iffy for video chat.
The 4G on the LTE network is supposed to be several times faster than the old WiMax 4G. Speed degrades as you get further away from the towers. At my apartment in Chicago, both clock in at about the same 3 Mbps, which is as fast a basic cable Internet connection. When I walk down the street about 5 blocks, I was able to get 20 Mbps standing outside a coffee shop which is insanely fast and rivals the 4G speeds from Verizon. However, when I was on a bus in the same area, the 4G signal would cut in and out every 30 seconds or so.
While traveling, though I can't remember what city, I did get a 4G WiMax to get around 20 Mbps on the Evo 4G. Only happened once though.
The Samsung SIII is three years newer, faster, but doesn't include many NEW features that you'd use every day, unless you want to try the S Voice and sharing things with other people who also have an SIII that are nearby. The SIII has a few gesture options which may or may not be super practical, like an option to automatically call someone when you look at their contact info and then raise the phone to your ear kind of stuff. I find that more accidental things occur with this kind of stuff right now. In the future, maybe the kinks will be worked out. Although the Evo does not have a screen shot option, the SIII has two, sliding your hand from one side of the screen to the other or pressing the power and middle center button at the same time (at least with the 2013 February/March update). But it starts up faster, has better battery life, applications open faster, the speaker is louder, and the touch screen is generally more reliable in that it doesn't freeze up as often.
The Samsung keyboard doesn't automatically autocorrect misspellings though like the HTC does. I recommend the free 'Go Keyboard' and to play with the settings until you get it the way you like it if you use the Samsung. I hated all the typos I had with the Samsung stock keyboard more than minor qualms with the HTC and Go Keyboards.
The Evo runs on 4G WiMax, which is good in the short term if your city doesn't have 4G LTE, like St. Louis, though WiMax is "old" and the new towers being put into the Sprint network are most likely only going to be LTE. So future you may want the LTE, but you can always sell your phone and buy a different one on eBay.
The HTC Ego 4G's screen would freeze during use, and sometimes when trying to answer the phone. Sometimes the phone would not recognize touch tones, so like when I have to "Press 1" to answer a call on Google Voice, it was hit or miss. This happens less frequently with Samsung SIII.
Speed: The HTC Evo 4G is three years older has a 1 GHz processor vs the Samsung Galaxy SIII has a dual core 1.5 GHz processor in the US (Europe has an even faster quad core processor).
The Evo 4G is stuck on an old version of Android. Not a huge deal, because I haven't been majorly impressed by any of the updates. I would just find apps to let me do what some of the updates did, like juice plotter would tell me info about my battery use and consumption rates, a feature that was incorporated into the newer Android versions, but not as well as Juice Pltter does, at least in my opinion. Juice Pltter also lets you know how long something will take to chrage. I does give you a battery life estimate, but I find it to often be off looking at the battery usage graph with hours and minutes and battery percentages is very useful to me.
The difference between 4g WiMax and the new 4G LTE
4G anything means it is faster than 3G. The 4G speeds are fast enough for you to video chat, and are very welcome if your 3G connection is too slow to use at that minute, which can happen. On 4G WiMax, there is a widget toggle you can use to choose when to turn on your 4G on your phone to try and look for a network. When the 4G is used, it drains your battery pretty quickly. On 4G LTE, there was a setting, at least on my Samsung Galaxy SIII, where I had to change the networks it looks for by settings-More Settings-Mobile Network from the default of 'CDMA' to 'LTE / CDMA'. This will allow the phone to automatically connect to an LTE network if it senses one. There is no manual switch to look for a 4G network like onteh WiMax Evo 4G.
The HTC Evo was great for its time because it was the first Android smartphone to include 4G speeds. Sprint used WiMax 4G for this phone when it was released in 2010. Sprint, leaving their WiMax towers up, at least for now, but are now focusing on setting up LTE 4G towers, the next generation of 4G which uses a lower frequency band acquired by Sprint in the Nextel merger so in theory the 4G signal can penetrate more walls and provide better coverage. That is at least what the guy at the Sprint store told me.
Both phones can connect to the same 3G network. Currently, some areas only get 3G speeds, which vary from too slow to use to occasionally good enough to video chat. Using the speedtest.net app, I have gotten download speeds between .056 Mbps and one or two times as fast as 3.16 Mbps, but generally the 3G speeds are about .75 MBps in my experience in the Chicago and St. Louis areas, which is slow, at least compared to your home connection of DSL or cable which clock in around 3MBpsto 20Mbps, but generally usable for mobile sites which take less time to load than full sites, but iffy for video chat.
The 4G on the LTE network is supposed to be several times faster than the old WiMax 4G. Speed degrades as you get further away from the towers. At my apartment in Chicago, both clock in at about the same 3 Mbps, which is as fast a basic cable Internet connection. When I walk down the street about 5 blocks, I was able to get 20 Mbps standing outside a coffee shop which is insanely fast and rivals the 4G speeds from Verizon. However, when I was on a bus in the same area, the 4G signal would cut in and out every 30 seconds or so.
While traveling, though I can't remember what city, I did get a 4G WiMax to get around 20 Mbps on the Evo 4G. Only happened once though.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
How much should you share online?
So I enjoy talking to people and hearing their stories. Some people write those stories down, and sometimes the stories are interesting. I came across this blog http://heathersbloggingplace.blogspot.com and actually really enjoyed reading it.
But where do you draw the line at what to share? If you have nothing to loose, share everything. People will find it interesting and you won't care if there are haters out there. If you do have something to loose, like a reputation, you may have to worry about things because people could use some of the self-incriminating stuff against you. Not everyone seems to be as accepting that everything you've done in your past has helped shape you into the person you are today. When you write stuff down, you can review it and learn from it. But what about when you share stuff about other people, like a name, where he works, and a picture, and this excerpt?
"When both of us were finally nude, we climbed onto the bed. Chris was very sensual, surprisingly sensual, actually. He knew both when, and where to slide his hands, and how to stroke with his fingers. I had an arm wrapped around his neck and we kept each other busy with kisses.
I know I eventually relaxed a little, but Chris seemed to remain pretty nervous. With me, nervousness will not necessarily hurt my performance, but with Chris being a guy, not everything operated exactly on cue. He said he was sorry but I told him that I was in no hurry and whenever he was ready, I was ready. I think my attitude seemed to actually help him relax because a minute or two later things began to happen."
I mean it's interesting to me to see the experience through her eyes, but if I went to school with Chris, I might be tempted to joke with him about it. I probably wouldn't, but other people might.
Generally speaking though, I would like to write something like Heather does, and just say everything I am thinking about, experiences I've had, etc. ut I feel like I Bwould have to sensor my thoughts as I explore the what ifs I think about and stuff.
Here is something personal. I've been slacking on P90X for the past week. When 'Eye of the Tiger' started playing on my iTunes, I got up and did a silly pump up dance, about the same quality of a 4 year old's where all the parents start laughing, started typing this, and felt like actually doing the video. Then the music stopped.
But where do you draw the line at what to share? If you have nothing to loose, share everything. People will find it interesting and you won't care if there are haters out there. If you do have something to loose, like a reputation, you may have to worry about things because people could use some of the self-incriminating stuff against you. Not everyone seems to be as accepting that everything you've done in your past has helped shape you into the person you are today. When you write stuff down, you can review it and learn from it. But what about when you share stuff about other people, like a name, where he works, and a picture, and this excerpt?
"When both of us were finally nude, we climbed onto the bed. Chris was very sensual, surprisingly sensual, actually. He knew both when, and where to slide his hands, and how to stroke with his fingers. I had an arm wrapped around his neck and we kept each other busy with kisses.
I know I eventually relaxed a little, but Chris seemed to remain pretty nervous. With me, nervousness will not necessarily hurt my performance, but with Chris being a guy, not everything operated exactly on cue. He said he was sorry but I told him that I was in no hurry and whenever he was ready, I was ready. I think my attitude seemed to actually help him relax because a minute or two later things began to happen."
I mean it's interesting to me to see the experience through her eyes, but if I went to school with Chris, I might be tempted to joke with him about it. I probably wouldn't, but other people might.
Generally speaking though, I would like to write something like Heather does, and just say everything I am thinking about, experiences I've had, etc. ut I feel like I Bwould have to sensor my thoughts as I explore the what ifs I think about and stuff.
Here is something personal. I've been slacking on P90X for the past week. When 'Eye of the Tiger' started playing on my iTunes, I got up and did a silly pump up dance, about the same quality of a 4 year old's where all the parents start laughing, started typing this, and felt like actually doing the video. Then the music stopped.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Movie list and personal ratings
Ever have trouble remembering if you've seen a particular movie before and whether or not it was decent? A list with a few comments might be helpful.
12 Angry Men (1957) 7/20 - 6+1 for being a classic
It's about 12 jurors, 11 of which believe a boy is guilty for murdering his father. 1 juror feels they should talk about it more and digs deeper, and slowly more become convinced that the evidence isn't as convincing. This plot has been copied and redone in other movies, TV shows, and, I'd imagine, radio dramas. While you may not remember the acting, you may remember how the most vocal juror that believes he is guilty was baited into saying "I'll kill you!" like the victim allegedly said, and how superficial and racist some people are.
Ademus 8.7/10
The life, and death, of Mozart, yes, the composer, from the perspective of a jealous contemporary. It's almost on the list of movies you need to see. Knock a few of the top ones off, then come back to this, unless you do like movies set in the 1700s.
A Few Good Men (1992) 5/10 stars
Tom Cruise plays a cocky lawyer that goes up against a commander, Jack Nicholson and there's the quote that says, "I'm entitled to the Truth!" You can't handle the truth!" It was fine.
Apollo 13 9/10
Haven't watched it recently, but I remember it was a great movie with Tom Hanks. Things go wrong on this superstitiously numbered spacecraft. It's a great movie. While it isn't referenced as much as some other movies in terms of scenes or music, it's worth watching. Drama
American Hustle (6.5/10)
Other people really liked it. Whatever. It was fine, but didn't really move me. Some hustlers get caught by a detective, but are told they will be released if they can convince four other people to do illegal stuff. They end up finding a clean politician that is loved by his community that they can swindle and the detective forces them to get him involved, but the swindlers revolt. Meh. Good acting. Cute actress.
A-Team (2010) 5/10 stars
I actually watched all the TV episodes before watching this and had low expectations because the characters were played by different actors, but they did a decent job. It wasn't a bad movie and there were some big name actors like Jessica Biel, and Liam Neeson.
Braveheart (1995) 9.5/10
Although the movie is slightly ruined when you find out they didn't have tartans at this point in history, this is one of my favorite movies.
Captain Phillips (2013) 8.1/10
It's one of those movies that did a lot right and did a good job of showing the motivations between the Solami pirates who were fisherman until foreign nations came in and overfished their seas, so they became dicated by the rich, who became rich by raiding merchant ships which often did not have firearms to defend themselves. The script had a decent amount of quick thinking that I wouldn't have thought to do, but was super realistic. While it's probably no classic, a morality class could have fun with it. It also supposedly derived from actual events and the captain led the crew in an unsafe place that was close to known pirates in order to save time, but in themovie, the captain was portrayed in a positive way (It was Tom Hanks, and he was very good). Nothing to write home about, but not bad. If it's in the background, you may not into it.
Chariots of Fire (1981) 9/10
One of those movies you have to see and is referenced regularly with music and beach running. A well done inspirational Christian movie about 1920's Scottish Olympic athlete Eric Liddell, a devout Christian, who refused to run in the 100 yard dash because it took place on a Sunday, the Christian Sabbath. Instead he ran a longer race not on Sunday despite not having an optimized training plan for the extra endurance needed. I don't remember if he won, or just got a bronze, but was happy with it because his convictions were so strong, but this movie may have made me tear up when I watched it when I was 12.
Company of Heroes (2013) 5/10 stars
It's a WWII film based on a video game. A group of infantry delivering ham find themselves on a mission to rescue someone forced to build the Germans a nuclear bomb. It was fine, but didn't come close to Saving Private Ryan or Enemy at the Gates. It wasn't hard to watch or slow though, which was good. It did show B17s flying 200 feet above the factory they were bombing... not accurate, but it's a movie. I'm exactly neutral to it. The best part was when guys are talking about their girlfriends and one is asked if he has a girl. He says he has two. At the end, he expands on it and makes everyone laugh.
Dark Blue World (2001) 9.5/10
It's a WWII foreign film with subtitles that follows a standard plot, but holy cow, this was an amazing story about a few of the pilots. It's not a background movie, it's a movie you have to pay attention to the whole time and probably will not regret it. One of my favorite movies. Drama Action
Das Boot (1981) 9.5/10
This is one of my favorite movies, even though the voice dubbing of one of the characters is just annoying. It follows the somber story of a German U-Boat from the perspective of a reporter and looks at the German captain who is forced to follow ridiculous orders and make tough decisions, the crew and the insane hardships and successes they endure. This is especially an amazing movie if you tour the German U-Boat in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. This needs to be film archived. The music is almost on par with Requiem for a Dream. You do need an attention span to watch it. Action Drama. 3:19
Dirty Harry (1971) 7/10
This is a classic movie with a famous quote, "I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" quote. The first, and probably most memorable of the Dirty Harry collection. It is a part of American culture with Clint Eastwood. Not particularly amazing by today's standards, but it's ok and there is almost an obligation to see it if you need to burn some time. Extra points because of the cultural significance.
Django Unchained (2012) 9/10 stars
What happens when a slave is rescued from some white people who have him walking in chains and is told he could be reunited with his wife if he hunts down and kills bad white people? This movie. At the end, Quentin Tarantino is a tad excessive in the blood and force people fly back when they get hit by bullets, but this was a very fun movie to watch.
Food Inc.
A movie that shows images of overstuffed chicken cages, cows, etc. Slow, but somewhat informative.
Forrest Gump (1994) 9/10
Yeah, though there were a handful of scenes that were a bit too much for me, like him dabbing his face on a t-shirt in the perfect form of a smiley face used at Wal-Mart, this movie is referenced regularly and worth a watch. "Run, Forrest. Run!" It's the story about a slow guy growing up in the 1960s and Vietnam. It's so random, but so good! You gotta watch this.
Good Will Hunting (8/10)
Robin Williams was borderline perfect in this movie. About a guy that grew up in the slums of Boston, hung out with loyal, but loser friends, and read a lot of books which made him smart, good at mathematical proofs, and an eloquent talker (if anyone with a Boston accent can be eloquent). He had
Gravity (2013) 6.5/10 stars
People raved about this movie. I thought it was good, but not as good as Apollo 13, just more modern. Good acting. Good special effects. Looked real, not obvious CGI. Nothing wrong with it. It just didn't leave me with immense emotion like Requiem for a Dream. Astronauts fight to survive debris that destroys opportunity after opportunity to get back to earth. Do they make it?
Now You See Me (2013) 7.5/10 stars
A decent movie about a bunch of magicians/con artists with personality. Short scenes, so OK for people with short attention spans who couldn't handle some of the classics. Some special effects were over the top for me. Not bad at all, though too far fetched for me to believe at times. It's fun, but not a movie that's to be remembered like Butterfly Effect or Requiem for a Dream.
Oblivion (2013) 6.5/10 stars
Tom Cruise services drones that protect machines that are supposed to take the natural resources away from earth and transport them to Titan, where the survivors of earth had to move to after a war. Things get weird when he finds a clone of himself....
The Dead Pool (1988) 6.1/10 stars
The final Dirty Harry film. It was OK. I did enjoy the small amount of Jim Carrey in this one. Liam Nielson is a horror film director and people start dying. Clint Eastwood figures it out.
The Enforcer (1976) 6/10 stars
The third Dirty Harry Clint Eastwood movie. Dirty Harry has to track down some American hippie terrorists.
The Good The Bad and the Ugly 8.5/10 stars
Even though it was old, slow, and three hours long, it didn't feel drawn out. The little Western whistling ditty in this movie is pretty famous. Clint Eastwood and two other guys all play dirty with each other in an attempt to recover some buried gold. It got a little extra rating than normal because it is part of American culture.
The Perks of being a Wallflower 8/10
I liked it. About a withdrawn guy who gets befriended by a group of people, including Emma Watson and makes a mistake I could almost see myself making.
The Prestige 5/10
Rival magicians go after each other. Good acting. I was neutral to it. Not a bad movie.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) 7/10
It's kind of like a modern day Scarface; it's the story of a regular guy that builds up a less-than-legal stock company and the ups and downs of his life. There is a lot of nudity, foul language, and drug use that my parents' generation may not be able to handle.
The World's End (2013) 6.5/10 stars
A silly English comedy about a guy that wants to relive a drinking route. Kinda reminds me of a Dr. Who episode. If you liked Hot Fuzz, you may enjoy this. Hot Fuzz was better in my opinion.
HappyThankYouMorePlease (2010) 8.5/10 stars
Full of surprising lighthearted bits and unexpected cute twists, this was a nice movie about unlikely dating. If you like Ted from 'How I Met Your Mother' and like the enchanting Kate Mara, you'll probably like this. Not a part of pop culture, but not bad.
Red (2010) 6.5/10
Retired Extremely Dangerous: A Bruce Willis action movie that is less serious than Die Hard. John Malkovich is the comic relief as a crazed guy who was given LSD growing up.
Red 2 (2013) 8.5/10 stars
Very fun, although a bit stupid silly, action movie with Bruce Willis and John Malkovich, who may dress up as the Chiquita banana lady. I laughed a lot. Watching RED first would be good, but not necessary. It may give a little more background, but it can be a standalone film. It's not referenced anywhere or anything, but a fun flick.
Requiem for a Dream (2000) 9/10 stars
If you can handle graphic drugs, sex, and INTENSE emotion, depression, loss, etc. This was an incredible movie that actually makes you feel. I won't say it makes you feel good. It won't. It made me incredibly anxious. But I have to give credit to a director that was able to make me feel that much emotion, regardless of what emotion it was.
I was told to watch this movie by a Hollywood video employee about why you shouldn't do heroin, and HOLY COW. People with low tolerances may not be able to handle it. But if you can, you will understand a lot of pop culture references made to the music and the video clips of inhaling heroin, such as referenced in this Dove commercial. I still feel anxious when I think about this movie and a lump forms in my throat. I showed this to a girl in college, and she turned it off because it was revolting. A few years later she watched it again, and said it was one of the best films she'd seen. It's one of those movies. It is also a part of American culture.
Silver Lining Playbook 5/10
A guy in a mental hospital, after catching his wife cheating on him and nearly killing the guy, gets out and tries to prove himself to his wife by helping another person do something she wants. That girl is played by Jennifer Lawrence.
Spartacus (1960) 8.5/10
I don't care that it's old. It gives insight into history and still holds its own. I found out about it because of a Seinfeld episode
Sudden Impact 6/10
Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood, tracks down a murderer that shoots a group of guys in the balls then their heads. The detective sleeps with the female killer when he's not 100% sure if she's a suspect. "Do you want to be alone tonight, Callahan? Neither do I." This is the fourth Dirty Harry movie.
Underground (Emir Kusturica) (1995) 4.5/10
A long foreign film about a resistance cell near Russia that builds a tank and hosts a marriage. Some scenes may stick with you for a long time if you can get into dramas, like accidentally ordering the deaths of people, and having his mother jump to save her husband, nd get killed and both of them set on fire in an electric wheelchair mistaken for the enemy and seeing their burning bodies rolling around on the chair in the middle of town when he got there. It was on some list of movies someone has to see before they die. If you have a long time and want a film to analyze and discuss, this may be an option.
Waking Life 2/10
It was a progressive cartoon talking about the theories, meaning of life, and stuff like that as if some of the characters were high. It couldn't hold my attention, but some people may like it.
To watch
Sea Wolves-U Boat documentary
12 Angry Men (1957) 7/20 - 6+1 for being a classic
It's about 12 jurors, 11 of which believe a boy is guilty for murdering his father. 1 juror feels they should talk about it more and digs deeper, and slowly more become convinced that the evidence isn't as convincing. This plot has been copied and redone in other movies, TV shows, and, I'd imagine, radio dramas. While you may not remember the acting, you may remember how the most vocal juror that believes he is guilty was baited into saying "I'll kill you!" like the victim allegedly said, and how superficial and racist some people are.
Ademus 8.7/10
The life, and death, of Mozart, yes, the composer, from the perspective of a jealous contemporary. It's almost on the list of movies you need to see. Knock a few of the top ones off, then come back to this, unless you do like movies set in the 1700s.
A Few Good Men (1992) 5/10 stars
Tom Cruise plays a cocky lawyer that goes up against a commander, Jack Nicholson and there's the quote that says, "I'm entitled to the Truth!" You can't handle the truth!" It was fine.
Apollo 13 9/10
Haven't watched it recently, but I remember it was a great movie with Tom Hanks. Things go wrong on this superstitiously numbered spacecraft. It's a great movie. While it isn't referenced as much as some other movies in terms of scenes or music, it's worth watching. Drama
American Hustle (6.5/10)
Other people really liked it. Whatever. It was fine, but didn't really move me. Some hustlers get caught by a detective, but are told they will be released if they can convince four other people to do illegal stuff. They end up finding a clean politician that is loved by his community that they can swindle and the detective forces them to get him involved, but the swindlers revolt. Meh. Good acting. Cute actress.
A-Team (2010) 5/10 stars
I actually watched all the TV episodes before watching this and had low expectations because the characters were played by different actors, but they did a decent job. It wasn't a bad movie and there were some big name actors like Jessica Biel, and Liam Neeson.
Braveheart (1995) 9.5/10
Although the movie is slightly ruined when you find out they didn't have tartans at this point in history, this is one of my favorite movies.
Captain Phillips (2013) 8.1/10
It's one of those movies that did a lot right and did a good job of showing the motivations between the Solami pirates who were fisherman until foreign nations came in and overfished their seas, so they became dicated by the rich, who became rich by raiding merchant ships which often did not have firearms to defend themselves. The script had a decent amount of quick thinking that I wouldn't have thought to do, but was super realistic. While it's probably no classic, a morality class could have fun with it. It also supposedly derived from actual events and the captain led the crew in an unsafe place that was close to known pirates in order to save time, but in themovie, the captain was portrayed in a positive way (It was Tom Hanks, and he was very good). Nothing to write home about, but not bad. If it's in the background, you may not into it.
Chariots of Fire (1981) 9/10
One of those movies you have to see and is referenced regularly with music and beach running. A well done inspirational Christian movie about 1920's Scottish Olympic athlete Eric Liddell, a devout Christian, who refused to run in the 100 yard dash because it took place on a Sunday, the Christian Sabbath. Instead he ran a longer race not on Sunday despite not having an optimized training plan for the extra endurance needed. I don't remember if he won, or just got a bronze, but was happy with it because his convictions were so strong, but this movie may have made me tear up when I watched it when I was 12.
Company of Heroes (2013) 5/10 stars
It's a WWII film based on a video game. A group of infantry delivering ham find themselves on a mission to rescue someone forced to build the Germans a nuclear bomb. It was fine, but didn't come close to Saving Private Ryan or Enemy at the Gates. It wasn't hard to watch or slow though, which was good. It did show B17s flying 200 feet above the factory they were bombing... not accurate, but it's a movie. I'm exactly neutral to it. The best part was when guys are talking about their girlfriends and one is asked if he has a girl. He says he has two. At the end, he expands on it and makes everyone laugh.
Dark Blue World (2001) 9.5/10
It's a WWII foreign film with subtitles that follows a standard plot, but holy cow, this was an amazing story about a few of the pilots. It's not a background movie, it's a movie you have to pay attention to the whole time and probably will not regret it. One of my favorite movies. Drama Action
Das Boot (1981) 9.5/10
This is one of my favorite movies, even though the voice dubbing of one of the characters is just annoying. It follows the somber story of a German U-Boat from the perspective of a reporter and looks at the German captain who is forced to follow ridiculous orders and make tough decisions, the crew and the insane hardships and successes they endure. This is especially an amazing movie if you tour the German U-Boat in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. This needs to be film archived. The music is almost on par with Requiem for a Dream. You do need an attention span to watch it. Action Drama. 3:19
Dirty Harry (1971) 7/10
This is a classic movie with a famous quote, "I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" quote. The first, and probably most memorable of the Dirty Harry collection. It is a part of American culture with Clint Eastwood. Not particularly amazing by today's standards, but it's ok and there is almost an obligation to see it if you need to burn some time. Extra points because of the cultural significance.
Django Unchained (2012) 9/10 stars
What happens when a slave is rescued from some white people who have him walking in chains and is told he could be reunited with his wife if he hunts down and kills bad white people? This movie. At the end, Quentin Tarantino is a tad excessive in the blood and force people fly back when they get hit by bullets, but this was a very fun movie to watch.
Food Inc.
A movie that shows images of overstuffed chicken cages, cows, etc. Slow, but somewhat informative.
Forrest Gump (1994) 9/10
Yeah, though there were a handful of scenes that were a bit too much for me, like him dabbing his face on a t-shirt in the perfect form of a smiley face used at Wal-Mart, this movie is referenced regularly and worth a watch. "Run, Forrest. Run!" It's the story about a slow guy growing up in the 1960s and Vietnam. It's so random, but so good! You gotta watch this.
Good Will Hunting (8/10)
Robin Williams was borderline perfect in this movie. About a guy that grew up in the slums of Boston, hung out with loyal, but loser friends, and read a lot of books which made him smart, good at mathematical proofs, and an eloquent talker (if anyone with a Boston accent can be eloquent). He had
Gravity (2013) 6.5/10 stars
People raved about this movie. I thought it was good, but not as good as Apollo 13, just more modern. Good acting. Good special effects. Looked real, not obvious CGI. Nothing wrong with it. It just didn't leave me with immense emotion like Requiem for a Dream. Astronauts fight to survive debris that destroys opportunity after opportunity to get back to earth. Do they make it?
Now You See Me (2013) 7.5/10 stars
A decent movie about a bunch of magicians/con artists with personality. Short scenes, so OK for people with short attention spans who couldn't handle some of the classics. Some special effects were over the top for me. Not bad at all, though too far fetched for me to believe at times. It's fun, but not a movie that's to be remembered like Butterfly Effect or Requiem for a Dream.
Oblivion (2013) 6.5/10 stars
Tom Cruise services drones that protect machines that are supposed to take the natural resources away from earth and transport them to Titan, where the survivors of earth had to move to after a war. Things get weird when he finds a clone of himself....
The Dead Pool (1988) 6.1/10 stars
The final Dirty Harry film. It was OK. I did enjoy the small amount of Jim Carrey in this one. Liam Nielson is a horror film director and people start dying. Clint Eastwood figures it out.
The Enforcer (1976) 6/10 stars
The third Dirty Harry Clint Eastwood movie. Dirty Harry has to track down some American hippie terrorists.
The Good The Bad and the Ugly 8.5/10 stars
Even though it was old, slow, and three hours long, it didn't feel drawn out. The little Western whistling ditty in this movie is pretty famous. Clint Eastwood and two other guys all play dirty with each other in an attempt to recover some buried gold. It got a little extra rating than normal because it is part of American culture.
The Perks of being a Wallflower 8/10
I liked it. About a withdrawn guy who gets befriended by a group of people, including Emma Watson and makes a mistake I could almost see myself making.
The Prestige 5/10
Rival magicians go after each other. Good acting. I was neutral to it. Not a bad movie.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) 7/10
It's kind of like a modern day Scarface; it's the story of a regular guy that builds up a less-than-legal stock company and the ups and downs of his life. There is a lot of nudity, foul language, and drug use that my parents' generation may not be able to handle.
The World's End (2013) 6.5/10 stars
A silly English comedy about a guy that wants to relive a drinking route. Kinda reminds me of a Dr. Who episode. If you liked Hot Fuzz, you may enjoy this. Hot Fuzz was better in my opinion.
HappyThankYouMorePlease (2010) 8.5/10 stars
Full of surprising lighthearted bits and unexpected cute twists, this was a nice movie about unlikely dating. If you like Ted from 'How I Met Your Mother' and like the enchanting Kate Mara, you'll probably like this. Not a part of pop culture, but not bad.
Red (2010) 6.5/10
Retired Extremely Dangerous: A Bruce Willis action movie that is less serious than Die Hard. John Malkovich is the comic relief as a crazed guy who was given LSD growing up.
Red 2 (2013) 8.5/10 stars
Very fun, although a bit stupid silly, action movie with Bruce Willis and John Malkovich, who may dress up as the Chiquita banana lady. I laughed a lot. Watching RED first would be good, but not necessary. It may give a little more background, but it can be a standalone film. It's not referenced anywhere or anything, but a fun flick.
Requiem for a Dream (2000) 9/10 stars
If you can handle graphic drugs, sex, and INTENSE emotion, depression, loss, etc. This was an incredible movie that actually makes you feel. I won't say it makes you feel good. It won't. It made me incredibly anxious. But I have to give credit to a director that was able to make me feel that much emotion, regardless of what emotion it was.
I was told to watch this movie by a Hollywood video employee about why you shouldn't do heroin, and HOLY COW. People with low tolerances may not be able to handle it. But if you can, you will understand a lot of pop culture references made to the music and the video clips of inhaling heroin, such as referenced in this Dove commercial. I still feel anxious when I think about this movie and a lump forms in my throat. I showed this to a girl in college, and she turned it off because it was revolting. A few years later she watched it again, and said it was one of the best films she'd seen. It's one of those movies. It is also a part of American culture.
Silver Lining Playbook 5/10
A guy in a mental hospital, after catching his wife cheating on him and nearly killing the guy, gets out and tries to prove himself to his wife by helping another person do something she wants. That girl is played by Jennifer Lawrence.
Spartacus (1960) 8.5/10
I don't care that it's old. It gives insight into history and still holds its own. I found out about it because of a Seinfeld episode
Sudden Impact 6/10
Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood, tracks down a murderer that shoots a group of guys in the balls then their heads. The detective sleeps with the female killer when he's not 100% sure if she's a suspect. "Do you want to be alone tonight, Callahan? Neither do I." This is the fourth Dirty Harry movie.
Underground (Emir Kusturica) (1995) 4.5/10
A long foreign film about a resistance cell near Russia that builds a tank and hosts a marriage. Some scenes may stick with you for a long time if you can get into dramas, like accidentally ordering the deaths of people, and having his mother jump to save her husband, nd get killed and both of them set on fire in an electric wheelchair mistaken for the enemy and seeing their burning bodies rolling around on the chair in the middle of town when he got there. It was on some list of movies someone has to see before they die. If you have a long time and want a film to analyze and discuss, this may be an option.
Waking Life 2/10
It was a progressive cartoon talking about the theories, meaning of life, and stuff like that as if some of the characters were high. It couldn't hold my attention, but some people may like it.
To watch
Sea Wolves-U Boat documentary
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