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The Seven Rays
By Jessica Bendinger

The creator of Bring it On, Jessica Bendinger, brings her teen savvy writing to this paranormal romance, The Seven Rays.
Amazon Sales Rank: #29470 in Books Published on: 2009-11-24 Original language: English Number of items: 1 Binding: Hardcover 336 pages
Review "The Seven Rays is awesome, and teentastic...and freaky. Is there anything screenwriter Jessica Bendinger can't write?" -- Greg Behrendt, coauthor of the bestselling He's Just Not That Into You"The Seven Rays totally awakened the fantasy fangirl in me!" -- Kate Brian, author of the bestselling Private and Privilege series"The Seven Rays takes you on a journey of mystery, magic, adventure, and the intricacies of relationships and love. Read this book, enjoy the adventure, be inspired, but also find that part of your being where the paranormal becomes normal." -- bestselling author Deepak Chopra About the Author Jessica Bendinger is a movie writer, producer, and director who lives in Los Angeles who has written such screenplays as Bring it On and Stick It. This is her first teen novel. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. CHAPTER 1THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN'T UNSEE. I DON'T know when I started seeing things. I don't know exactly when the little flickers started popping up, demanding my attention, mucking up my vision. I really don't remember. Which is annoying, because you think you'd remember the first time your life was about to change irrevocably. But you don't. When your personal cosmos explodes, you don't remember precisely when the match first strikes the tinder. Or when the wick on the TNT gets lit. Me? I just remember pink dots. Stupid pink dots.The only dots I'd seen previously were dotted lines, where I signed my name: Elizabeth Ray Michaels. Beth to those who knew me. Elizabeth to those who didn't. I'm the only child of divorced parents, who neither speak to each other nor interact. This is a fact my overprotective, hardworking mother assured me was better than dodging my father's fists and his screaming. It is also a fact I've learned not to question. In my seventeen years I've mastered one thing: the art of staying out of trouble, and a knack for insanely good grades. That's two things. Two things that were about to change faster than a fourteen-yearold boy's voice. And a hundred times more awkwardly. But I'm getting ahead of myself.I don't remember if my eye-flashes first started when my mom blew a gasket over the fact that I didn't ever cut or style my long hair. Don't get me wrong: I brushed it and loved it. I had been growing it since I was seven. It was dirty blond, long and shiny, and the only thing I appreciated about my looks. Ever since reading that guys preferred long hair, I'd been growing mine. Superficial and shallow, I know, I know, but my hair was like my beauty raft: I clung on to it for dear life. Once Mom had tried to trick me into cutting it by giving me a certificate to a salon in Chicago. When I used it toward a mani-pedi? She ragged on me, and there was a red flashing dot. Like a flashing red smoke-alarm light that didn't stop for several seconds. On her head.The second visual flare was when my bestie Shirl wouldn't admit she'd lost my favorite bag. She'd borrowed it. And failed to return it. Period. Okay. So, second to my hair? I loved my stuff. I didn't have a lot of it, but what I did have, I adored. My old stuffed animals, my clothes, my books, my shoes, my bags. We couldn't afford much, so I treasured everything and took good care of it. I guess I took "pride of ownership" a little too seriously at times, because I began naming things. Betty was the name of my favorite bag. So, when Shirl lost Betty and wouldn't admit it? This blast of dots went off. "You treat your stuff like it's alive, Beth." She was railing on me like she always did when she'd messed up. "Who names their stuff? You'd think they were pets the way you dote on them; it's ridic. And who do you think you are? Are you really accusing me of lying about something I could totes incredibly easily replace, anyway?" My things were like my pets. Betty was my fave and she was gone. And I was pretty sure Shirl was lying about it.But that was all eclipsed by the fact that Shirl was covered in pink dots: tiny dots, pancake-sized dots, quarter-sized dots, nickel-sized dots, penny-sized and micro-sized dots. She was covered in all sizes and varieties of translucent, Pepto-Bismol pink dots. I was blinking so much at her she asked, "Are you developing eyelash Tourette's, or what?" Then the dot-o-vision got all fuzzy and stopped. Sadly, eyelash Tourette's was not to be the diagnosis. Or the live-agnosis.Weird crap began popping in, out, and around people in my field of vision every day for weeks. I was terrified to tell my mother (who had a tendency to become hysterique about anything and everything), so I kept my mouth shut. I was tripping. Tuh-ripping. Although I knew there had to be a logical explanation for what was happening, I probably wasn't going to discover it in my crappy high school's version of AP Chem. Which wasn't actually a class at my school, but (drumroll, please)...a college-level course at the fabulously craptastic local community college! In fabulously craptastic New Glen, Illinois! Having sailed through high school with a 4.1 GPA, I finished junior year as a senior. The faculty decided my time was better spent off campus in collegelevel classes than repeating classes I'd already straight A-ced. I'd be spending most of what would have been my last year in high school as an exotic export: a New Glen High School senior dominating the academic scene at NGCC (otherwise known as No Good Criminal College). By the way, there is no one less popular than a high-school kid in a college class crammed with college-aged underachievers. I was an interloper doing something my classmates had never dreamed of: graduating early.It was the only thing I'd ever done early. I'd developed late, shot up late, and shot out late. Shirl and I were the last girls in high school to have chests that weren't concave. We were never the cutest girls or the hottest girls or the most popular girls, the weirdest girls or the most annoying girls. You'd have to matter to someone, somewhere, to be any of those things. And we didn't matter. To anyone, anywhere. Not when we met at New Glen Elementary, not at New Glen Middle School, and not at New Glen High. We were pretty much invisible.In private, Shirl was a drama queen, constantly battling the nonexistent five pounds she had to lose, or complaining about her bad skin that was perfectly clear. She did it to combat her biggest fear, which she vocalized regularly: "We are becoming snore pie with yawn sauce, Beth! C'mon, let's do something spontaneous and unforgettable!" Which usually involved the exciting rush of mainlining coffee at the local mall.Shirl's hobby was the cool kids. She pined for invitations to their parties, shopped where they shopped, knew where they hung out and where they worked. She studied them like they were constellations in a telescope: She understood what they were and how they behaved and could forecast their movements better than an astronomer. The difference between me and Shirl was simple: She wanted to be a part of their solar system. I wanted to get the hell out of that universe. And into university.There was, however, one particular planet that Shirl revolved around: Ryan McAllister. Ryan Mac was the younger half of the lethally gorgeous, perpetually delinquent Mac Brothers. Stunning and troubled, athletic and not so bright, Ryan and his older brother, Richie McAllister, were legends around New Glen. They had dreamy hair, dreamy eyes, and the kind of sad family story that let them get away with anything. I didn't know the details, but Shirl swore their father had abandoned the family under some kind of mob death threat involving guns and gambling debt. Their mother was in and out of rehab, and the boys were given the kind of free pass that is handed out to heart-stopping hotties with tragic life stories.And how Ryan worked it! Ryan McAllister was the sworn nemesis of promise rings anywhere in a hundred-mile radius. Reputed to have deflowered bouquets of virgins, Ryan was legend. Arrested at fourteen, illegally driving an old motorcycle at fifteen, all-state in soccer and basketball by sixteen, Ryan Mac was drunk with power by seventeen. By his senior year Ryan had plucked more local buds than the horticulture industry. This naughty fact was how Ryan McAllister got his very naughty nickname: the Hymenator. His conquests were legendary, and were usually followed by the unfortunate and very public dangling of an unwrapped condom on the victim's locker. Needless to say, Shirl would've willingly offered her rose to him without hesitation."I'm feeling thorny" was her whispered giggle every time we'd cross Ryan's path."Hey, Charlene." Ryan always got Shirl's name wrong, and this didn't deter her."A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet?" I squeaked out, trying to protect her fragile ego."He knows I exist. I'm making progress." She was so gleeful about it. It was as if he'd just asked her out."Please don't lose your V to Ryan McAllister," I'd beg, rolling my eyes out of worry more than anything."He'd have to find it first," she'd laugh. "Unless I lost it already. Do you think my virginity is in the lost and found box in Principal Tony's office? I haven't seen it in a while...." She'd joke about her total lack of sexual experience. But despite Shirl's self-deprecating humor, I worried about the truth: She'd do anything for Ryan McAllister.I reluctantly indulged her fixation by hanging out with her at the Bordens Books at Glen Valley Mall. Ryan worked parttime at the sporting goods store next door, and I could at least study and drink coffee while Shirl obsessed and memorized Ryan's flight pattern.There wasn't one cool kid who Shirl didn't know something about. Grenada Cavallo -- the style icon of New Glen -- never wore the same thing twice, and her luxury Vuitton bags were way beyond what most kids could afford. Shirl would speculate relentlessly about their origin. "Do you think Grenada is a master shoplifter or master Web-shopper and deal-finder?""I no know," was my constant refrain. "They are your specialty, not mine." I needed to nail my physics test, and she was not letting me master Newtonian mechanics.Shirl was sucking down her fifth coffee. "She says it's a wealthy aunt who works at Bergdorf 's in New York.""I didn't realize the wealthy worked in retail.""I know, right? Lucky her." Shirl was buzzing. "Did you see Jake's new tattoo" -- she knew I hadn't -- "on his lower back?""He got a tramp stamp?" I asked, incredulous. "How tacky and how tragic!" I detested tattoos. "Why not just wear a sign that says, 'Please think I'm cool. I'm begging you!' How'd you see Jake's lower back, anyway?""He took off his shirt in PE.""Did the angels sing?" Shirl liked Jake. And by that, I mean Shirl liked all boys."Don't mock me. You're missing a lot, you know." Shirl said it in a resentful voice, like I'd abandoned her and made a horrible mistake by investing in my future. "And now that you'r...
Excellent young adult novel This tightly written mystery is not your typical coming of age story. Filled with fantacy and magic, it is a page turner...interesting enough for an adult to enjoy as a quick read, and easily written so that age 13 or 14 and up could enjoy. The central character is female, with a strong male counterpart. There is some sexuality though not exactly the sexual act itself (read to see what I mean). It is handled well, not too graphic. A family torn apart is reunited, and a group of girls who just don't fit in anywhere are reunited into a wonderful sisterhood. A leading edge novel based on current thought surrounding the belief in the dawning age of the devine feminine - excellent! Interesting concept, but who is the real target audience? After completing The Seven Rays, I am very confused as to who (what age) is the target audience. The characters are high school seniors and older. Therefore, I would assume it was geared towards teens. HOWEVER, the main character, Beth, and her best friend behave like pre-teens. BUT, the book contains sexual content that really surprised me. I read adult and young adult paranormal and urban fantasy books. I've only read one young adult paranormal book before that painted such a clear picture on sexual acts of this matter. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND PRE-SCREENING THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE BUYING IT FOR A MIDDLE SCHOOL AGED READER!!! The book summary was so interesting and caught my attention immediately. I could not wait until my book arrived from Amazon. I started reading immediately. I was surprised to see on the book that it was written by the same author as Bring It On and Stick It. If I had known that, I probably would not have ordered the book. Since I had it, I still wanted to read it, because it sounded so good. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I would make it through the book. Starting out, Beth and her friend acted more immature and goofy than my 12 year old niece and her friends. Let me tell you, they can be pretty goofy and annoying! I was shocked that readers were supposed to believe this was the behavior of a 17 year old, brilliant girl who finished high school early and was taking college courses. The teen slang was difficult to take. However, once I got through the first few chapters, the book became extremely interesting. It really did keep my attention, and I found myself reading longer than I normally do each evening. It was nice to follow along with Beth through her journey of discovery of her new powers. The interaction between Beth and Richie was sweet (most of the time -- when they weren't doing acts that are too mature for the middle-school age behavior shown early in the book). I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure UNTIL about the last 1/4 of the book. It didn't seem to be very cohesive. It was very forced and did not fit with the rest of the book. There are going to be very many young female readers who may stop reading the book with disgust because of the route the romantic portion takes. Beth's interaction (and acceptance) of acts done with the "Seven Rays" seems quick and forced. I was torn on what to score this book. I went with 3 stars, because I enjoyed the majority of the book (in the middle). I did not really enjoy the beginning or the end. It felt like there were 3 different story/writing styles. I also felt there was not a clear age range for the target group. I have warned my sister to read it before letting my niece read it (we all like the paranormal and urban fantasy genre). While the language and most of the actions of the characters are perfectly in check with a 12 year old, the sexual actions in the book are definitely years ahead of that age. I probably would have rated it lower than 3 stars because of the negatives that I mentioned, but the interesting and captivating middle section of the book bumped it up to 3 stars. By the way, I find it "interesting" that ALL of the 5 star reviews as of this date pretty much reviewed ONLY Seven Rays items. Seems suspicious, if you know what I mean. Teen slang, plot problems, adult topics... confused? So am I. I really hate to give any book a negative review. It is so difficult to write a novel and especially get published today, that I feel I have to be supportive of the resulting work regardless of my personal feelings. I think, however, that Bendinger got a free pass on this book because of her past accomplishments (Bring It On and Stick It). If I were to rate this book on my personal feeling, I would probably rate it two stars. The characters were unbelievably immature and ridiculously goofy for seventeen year-olds that were about to turn eighteen. The main character is supposedly a genius child who graduated high school a year early, but she makes jokes about the initials "A.B." ("One-Two", "PeePoo"). In addition, the never-ending use of teen slang (which honestly I don't even think teens use) and fabricated words in this book made me cringe. Because of that alone, it was a very tough read for me. The characters themselves are rather flat. The main character, Beth, is the typical mother-hating teenager. The best friend is the typical sidekick. The love interest is the typical brooding teenager that all the girls lust after but somehow inexplicably chooses our girl Beth. Yawn! Beth goes through a convoluted plot line that involves more mom-hating, a stint in a psych ward, and lots of running away with her new beau to solve the mystery at hand. It becomes more convoluted as the mystery starts to unravel, with some rather adult moments involving tattoos and strip clubs. I struggle to think who is the target audience for this book. If I had a daughter under eighteen, I would not be thrilled with her reading this book, and I'm certainly no square! To add to the confusion, the ending that is hinted at as the mystery unravels is suddenly either forgotten or completely revoked with no explanation. Most frustrating of all, the ending feels rather void of closure. I'm guessing that the author was attempting to leave the door open for a sequel, but at this point I'm not sure I would bother reading a sequel should there be one. While the book was entertaining, it just wasn't that good. This could probably be forgiven by teenage readers, but I doubt some of the subject matter would be appropriate for most of them.

   

Charlotte Church - In Jerusalem
Directed by Kriss Russman



Continuing the pilgrimage she began in her 2000 Christmas video, Dream a Dream: Charlotte Church in the Holy Land, the Welsh singing sensation performs a live concert from the Tower of David in Jerusalem. While no longer a 12-year-old cherub, the teenage Church retains her youthful giddiness as she breathlessly introduces numerous songs from her recording career--Parry's "Jerusalem," Puccini's "O Mio Babbino Caro," Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Pie Jesu" (in a duet with Marina Blumen), and the appropriate closer, Stephen Adams's "The Holy City." Uri Miles ("the only Uillean piper in Israel") accompanies "Last Rose of Summer," and the Cantus Choir backs up "The Lord's Prayer" and "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer." Conductor Julian Smith and the Ra'anana Symphonette Orchestra perform brief orchestral interludes from Carmen and Cavalleria Rusticana, during which Church is shown rehearsing and preparing for the concert (in fast motion), then visiting various parts of the city. In fine voice, Church is always respectful, even reverential of her surroundings, and the concert setting, with the stone walls lit against the night sky, is nothing less than stunning. --David Horiuchi From the Back Cover Join Charlotte Church as she performs some of her favorite songs in the magnificent setting of the historic Tower of David, Jerusalem. This concert was recorded live with the Ra'anana Symphonette Orchestra and the Cantus Choir in front of an invited audience. There is exclusive behind-the-scenes footage as Charlotte explores the historic city of Jerusalem. Get a glimpse of the hustle and bustle involved in constructing the stage and see Charlotte rehearse with conductor Julian Smith, as they prepare for the night ahead. 49 minutes. 1. Overture: Forces of Destiny (Verdi) (orchestra only) 2. Jerusalem 3. La Pastorella 4. Uri Miles on Uillean pipes 5. Last Rose of Summer 6. O Mio Babbino Caro 7. Carmen Prelude / Carmen Act 4 (Bizet) (orchestra only) 8. The Lord's Prayer 9. Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer 10. Ave Maria (Bach-Gounod) 11. Intermezzo Cavalleria Rusticana (orchestra only) 12. Plaisir d'Amour 13. Pie Jesu (Andrew Lloyd Webber) (duet with Marina Blumen) 14. The Holy City 15. The Holy City (reprise)
A Personal Visit Would Be Better This video certainly has no more merit than a CD by this artist. The scene is by the wailing wall in Jerusalem and the sum total of the program is to hear Miss Church wailing away with her choir-girl repertoire of material from previous CDs. Accordingly the listener/viewer has the same problems as with the CD and that is the total lack of range, control, and emotion in Miss Church's singing. If all you want is volume, you can receive the same every Sunday from your church choir. If you want to see Jerusalem, go there in person. The stationary night-time scene of Miss Church by the wailing wall will not satisfy your appetite for a Holy Land visitation. BETTER than her CD's! Charlotte Church sounds even better when performing live than she does on her CD's - and that takes real talent! This video is absolutely beautiful. Charlotte is beautiful, her voice is beautiful, and the setting is beautiful. Every song is lovely, but I especially like "O Mio Babbino Caro" and "Plasir d'amour." "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer" is so wonderful that it sounds exactly like the version on her CD, only better! "The Holy City" is a smashing ending to this must-have for Charlotte fans! My only criticism is that this video is way too short! Just Plain Wonderful! Many people have been scepticalabout the development of her voice, but as this concert proves she only seems to get better and better. At fifteen years of ageshe has a wonderful appealingstage presence, and if she continues to train & improve, I believe that her dream to star in Madam Butterfly will happen.

   

The Art Of Fighting Without Fighting
Touchfinder



Album Description The Art Of Fighting Without Fighting by TouchfinderThis product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. 's standard return policy will apply.

   

AFFLICTION Kari Barba Mens Embroidered Dragon Chinese Tattoo Adjustable Trucker Hat Cap Black


Affliction Clothing's ability to set the bar high in fashion is evident in its collection's indulgence of style and design, focus on quality, and its trademark series of divinely executed, dark and powerful themes. Affliction is a mainstay for the most elite athletes, heaviest bands, A-listers and the fashion conscious worldwide. This black trucker hat features an embroidered tattoo inspired design of a dragon and Chinese writing. The bill has deliberate distressing along the edge. Under the bill the hat has the Affliction logo embroidered in black on black leather. The upside down fleur-de-lis Affliction logo is featured on the back tag. Style # AH41. Black

   

The Lake House
From Lakeshore Records



The first five tracks on the soundtrack to this Sandra Bullock/Keanu Reeves romantic drama are wonderfully wistful songs. The first, Paul McCartney's "This Never Happened Before" from his 2005 album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, sets the tone. The low-key mood is then picked up by new romantic souls like the Clientele (the languidly forlorn "(I Can't Seem to) Make You Mine") and Eels (the fiddle-accented ballad "Ant Farm"), and classic songwriters Nick Drake (with 1969's "Time Has Told Me") and Carole King (1971's "It's Too Late"). The rest of the album is made up of Rachel Portman's intimately romantic score. Portman makes good use of melody lines driven sometimes by a piano ("Mailbox") and sometimes an acoustic guitar ("Tell Me More"), while also ensuring that the orchestra never threatens to overwhelm them. And when strings dominate, they never feel rote ("Sunsets"). The music isn't in-your-face sad but tinged with a sense of very adult melancholy. Whoever thought that one day we'd say that of something attached to a Keanu Reeves movie? --Elisabeth Vincentelli
The Lake House The Lake House has a wonderful score and wonderful music. It seems that every movie Sandra Bullock is in... it has an awesome soundtrack. The score is just "sit down and relax" type of score, having piano with strings. This would fit perfectly in your collection of CD's. Take a nice nap as you listen to this relaxing and beautiful music. Highly recommended! Just wish that some of the music that was on the movie, but wasn't on the soundtrack, were on the soundtrack. Big disappointment... 1. This Never Happened Before - Paul McCartney 4/5 2. (I Can't Seem To) Make You Mine - The Clientele 4/5 3. Time Has Told Me - Nick Drake 4/5 4. Ant Farm - Eels 4/5 5. It's Too Late - Carole King 4/5 6. The Lakehouse - Rachel Portman 5/5 7. Pawprints - Rachel Portman 5/5 8. Tough Week - Rachel Portman 4/5 9. Mailbox - Rachel Portman 5/5 10. Sunsets - Rachel Portman 4/5 11. Alex's Father - Rachel Portman 4/5 12. Il Mare - Rachel Portman 5/5 13. Tell Me More - Rachel Portman 4/5 14. She's Gone - Rachel Portman 5/5 15. Wait For Me - Rachel Portman 4/5 16. You Waited - Rachel Portman 4/5 17. I Waited - Rachel Portman 5/5 If you liked this, you may like the 1.Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants score soundtrack 2. The Princess Diaries score soundtrack OR 3. Shopgirl original score Rachael Portman Knows what she is doing and she is doing it great! Hope you enjoy! Jordan Overall grade* A- A wonderful way to relive the movie! This is a short review to say just how much I'm enjoying the motion picture soundtrack to The Lake House. Though I now seem to be watching the DVD of The Lake House at least once every week, I'm listening to the musical soundtrack everyday. I wish Rosemary Clooney's song, There Will Never Be Another You, was on the CD, as well as the instrumental music that was played when Alex plants the tree in from of Kate's future apartment complex in Chicago. Still, this is a great CD with music that brings back the most wonderful memories of the movie. In my opinion, this is what movie music is supposed to do. A really good soundtrack has to be able to stand on its own, and The Lake House does with flying colors. If you enjoyed the film, then you'll love having the CD to listen to. Perfect Album to Remember the Film ALL the best songs from the film are on this album PLUS the complete score by Rachel Portman know for stunning scores on others films such as CHOCOLATE'. How can you go wrong with Paul McCartney, Carole King and Nick Drake? Plus the amazing opening title song by The Clientelle! Although the two Rosemary Clooney songs are abset from this collection, they are not the from key emotional scenes in the film in the same way the above mentioned songs are. McCartney's tune does double duty in the film and as end titles. Carole King is played during one of the most important scenes in the entire movie. Nick Drake is absolutely moving and The Clientelle set the mood during the opening titles with perfect form. 5 STARS, BRAVO!

   

The Green Mile: Score from the Motion Picture
Various Artists - Soundtracks



The greatest soundtrack composers have historically performed a musical tightrope act, being called upon to be stylistically inventive yet invitingly familiar, emotionally compelling without being cloying. In modern times, few have risen to the challenge like Thomas Newman. His score for Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's miraculous death row fable is an organic masterpiece, whether Newman is wringing dramatic fury from his orchestra's rhythm and percussion or, as is more often the case here, delicately shading the proceedings with a palette of sounds distinctly his own. Though seasoned with a pinch of period pop and folk music to underscore the film's period and locale, it's Newman's spare, creative soundscapes that become the film's subtle, emotional core. The composer may have grown up in a family (Hollywood's legendary Newman clan) steeped in daunting film-music history, but Newman has gratifyingly created a body of work whose attention to shade and nuance--and their crucial spiritual connections--seem more influenced by Bernard Herrmann, and that's not bad company, either. --Jerry McCulley
Another Thomas Newman journey to music satisfaction! Following the beautiful music of Shawshank, this is another example of Thomas Newman`s talent. I find that I am always eagarly awaiting his next soundtrack. I had no sooner left the movie theatre after watching (The Green Mile) that my wife looked at me and said, you`re going to get the cd aren`t you. The way Newman blends each piece of music together just speaks volumes about his musical ability. Buy it people. Don`t miss the opportunity. Coffey wouldn't "try to take this one back." This is a superb score. Don't let the cd samples fool you too much. Most of these songs contain various parts to them and a simple thirty second listening experience will not suffice! I found myself driving through the prarie land of Illinois on a freezing winter's night, listening to this cd and feeling like I was in a dream. I'm being completely honest with you. It was amazing. Tracks likes Foolishment, Night Journey, and Danger of Hell are hauntingly mesmerizing. Track #32, Coffey on the Mile, is one of Newman's greatest accomplishments ever. Track #37, the song played during the credits, will leave you in a thick state of deep contemplation. You will love this one. All in all, this is one of Newman's greatest scores, and arguably the best of all time for Mr. Newman. You will love it. Not Shawshank? Not A Problem! I read some of the other comments posted here and immediately think that THE GREEN MILE, both the movie and the score, seems to demand an unwarranted comparison to THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. They are not the same movie, so by rights they should not be the same score. Still, with so many of SHAWSHANK'S crew (including Thomas Newman) returning for this one, I suppose comparison is inevitable... so for what it's worth, GREEN MILE's score IS considerably more restrained than SHAWSHANK. But all the same, it is fantastic. Contemplative and somber, emotional and eerie. If SHAWSHANK was all about hope, GREEN MILE is its dark cousin, sadder and much more tragic. I could understand, if one has not seen the movie, this CD coming off as underwhelming. But after seeing it, the CD is a perfect souvenir, encapsulating all of the quirks and bumps and revelations that made this movie so darned good in the first place.

   

Mel Bay's Learn how to play the Violin
From Mel Bay Publications

No previous musical experience necessary to be successful with this method. Designed for anyone of any age who want to play violin. It will teach you the basics for all types of performance: classical and country with step by step instructions. Taught by Coral White.

   

Slower Than Christmas (Explicit)
From SAWMILL RECORDS




DO NOT GET THIS SONG Are you SERIOUS Amazon. If I could give no stars I would. This is not Christmas music. It is full of foul language and does not talk kindly about Christmas (which happens to be one of my favorite times of the year). Do not get this song. Amazon I understand you get what you pay for, but normally I love your free selections and look forward to them every year. Please do not put anymore music like this on again. Anti-Christmas, anti-family song. I deleted it. I actually downloaded this song last year when it was offered for free on the strength of the fact that I actually like Billy Bob Thornton's singing. This song has the dubious distinction of being one of very few that I subsequently deleted. I will usually even hang on to music that I only feel lukewarm about because my feelings may change. I was disgusted by this song. It isn't that I get all high and mighty about language, or that I can't take songs making light of the holiday. This song is nothing more than ungrateful complaining about having to spend time with relatives you don't like. It isn't funny, it's annoying. If you don't like the holiday, or don't want to spend time with your family, do something else that you enjoy, but don't be a wet blanket for everyone else. For the record, Christmas At Ground Zero is a hilarious song by a truly talented musical comedian. Billy Bob is quite talented, but he is not a comedian and should avoid attempting humor as a focus in his songwriting. I don't know if his intent with Slower Than Christmas was truly to be humorous or if he was just spilling sour grapes, but it stinks either way. As if the subject matter wasn't bad enough, the execution of the song does not redeem it. It is a bland, tedious number, which gives you more attention to spare toward its message of ungratefulness than might happen if the music were more entertaining. This is a song that I could only recommend for people who hate the Christmas holiday, so why in the world would they be looking for that on a Christmas song listing? In choosing this song to be part of the 25 Days Of Free, Amazon shows a disturbing lack of judgment that I hope will not be repeated. Not worth your time. I readily admit that many enjoy comedic music, which often is crass. This is not for most, if very many. I realize that these songs are usually tongue-in-check. I personally don't care for music that tears down others and reinforces pretty negative stereotypes of spending time with friends and family during the holiday season. They may be better spending time building relationships with family than writing songs like this, although, that may not be as financially profitable. Again, I know that this is a pretty serious view on a comedic song, and many like this type of humor. I just don't care for it and want to help others save their time (or money) if they happen to prefer traditional Christmas music. (Zero stars if possible.)

   

Macalla
Clannad



Album Description 2003 remastered reissue of the band's 1985 album with new artwork, features 11 tracks including 1 bonus track, 'Caislean Oir' (Planet Heaven Mix). Includes new sleeve notes & rare photos. Slipcase. BMG.
Clannad Greatest Hits This is spectacular, but you miss a lot of great songs by not buying their other CD's.

   

CRYSTAL ROCK Christian Audigier Ed Hardy Womens Sunglasses Platinum Rhinestone Trucker Hat Cap Blue


Once again the Godfather of Rock & Roll Fashion redefines high-end casual wear as Christian Audigier and his daughter, Crystal, present their line Crystal Rock. This line celebrates girls of all ethnicities, cultures and walks of life. Crystal sketches and designs all of the images for her collection inspired by her California roots, her international travels, and her 'sky is the limit' way of thinking she inherited from her father. The bold and colorful designs embrace the spirit of youthfulness, while creating a niche for edgy wearable art! This trucker hat is combination cotton and polyester on the front with an adjustable strap on the mesh back. It features print of a woman wearing a large hat and sunglasses, surrounded by abstract designs, all partially adorned with matching colored rhinestones. Crystal Rock is written on the front, also partially embellished with rhinestones. Silver metal studs with crystals in the middle line the hat seams and a silver CR logo button is on the top. The underside of the bill says Crystal Rock in a pattern that matches the front of the hat. Style #CR017. Light Blue.

   

Found
Push Play



Album Description New York based artists Push Play are destined to make a major impact on the pop landscape with their 2009 Wind-Up Records debut, Found. Having garnered a substantial national fanbase over the last year through relentless touring and on-line fan outreach, they now look elevate their status on the mainstream musical stage.
Good Teen Pop No way would I have listened to this type of music when I was a teen during the 70's, but this is not the 70's, and my two youngest kids are teens and they like this CD quite a bit. The musicianship is better than I expected, and the vocals are pretty good. I found the material a but risque' for the intended market, but then I'm old. 3 1/2* Great for young teen girls under 14 If you're looking for a Christmas present for a young teen girl or even boy then this CD is fantastic. No older than middle school though. It's similar to all the other Disney groups that have been coming out, Hannah Montana, Jonas Bros, etc. The music is not awful, it's easy to listen to and you'll even find yourself humming along although you won't understand the words. Nothing wrong, there is no parental warning and the lyrics are basically clean. Good value and your teens will think it's 'sick nasty' (that's good by the way). It's okay, but nothing special I actually liked it better than I expected in fact. This album is a trial-run for making a million-selling pop band. If it's successful, the corporate music folks will stick these lads all over the place. They'll play at the Grammies, they'll get coverage in the magazines, etc. If not, they'll fade away. There are a lot of talented bands out there. Push Play? Well, their music is pure pop silliness with oozing optimism and near-giddiness clearly being marketed to the younger half of the teenaged girl market. Twilight and Push Play. Why am I talking about the marketing? Well, that's what's here to be reviewed, the music is reasonably fun, but it's not something I'd put into the CD player a second time or anything. You can tune to a Clear Channel radio station and hear this.

   

Funhouse (Explicit)
From LaFace Records




Welcome to the FUNHOUSE I could probably put everything I know about Pink into ... well ... I guess it would be into a single album review. I know her real name is Alecia Moore. I know she burst onto the scene at the same time as a handful of other pop singer/songwriters. I know, for some reason, she hasn't seem to be given the same level of respect as some of her peers (though I've read one "professional" review that already dubbed this her "divorce album," given her recent change of marital status) ... but that could all change with FUNHOUSE. There's a 1960's one-hit wonder quality to the entire album, to every single track, a sound so magically captured in the Tom Hanks film THAT THING YOU DO! It's fun, with a lot of attitude. So What (5 out ot 5): A perfect gem of a song. When it comes to rockin' pop rhythms with lyrical attitude, Pink clearly commands the lead over her peers with driving songs matched with the killer refrains like that of "So What," a musical shot of adrenaline. Who cares what others say? It in the end it doesn't matter b/c talent & attitude triumphs. Never diss the rock star. Celebrate the self. One of the best tracks here. A hit out of the park! Sober (4 out of 5): A melancholy rocker, introspective in a way only someone who's looked inside can pen and perform. Personal demons are often driven by the actions of others (bad lovers, bad parents, bad friends, etc.), but only one's self-confidence can help you achieve lasting happiness. "How do I feel this good sober?" Indeed. I Don't Believe You (5 out of 5): Starts softly and swells in power, much like any individual's soul. Only Pink's trembling & gritty voals can elevate the power to jilted love songs like these. Tragically romantic though the love may have come to an end. One Foot Wrong (2 out of 5): Is it jazz? Is it electronic? Is that a reggae beat? I'm not too sure what to make of "One Foot Wrong." For the record, there's also a late 60's sound working here. The track feels a bit experimental. If it weren't for Pink's massive voice, then I probably wouldn't much remember this tune. Please Don't Leave Me (4 out ot 5): Lyrically, the song truly shows Pink's vocal strength, alternating as it does between her contemporary singer and an almost lilting little girl backing "da da da" track. A throwback sound to the teen beach tunes of the 1960's brought forward in time beautifully here. Bad Influence (5 out of 5): Forgive me if I think that THIS is what Pink does best ... celebrating her own downright sinful badness. Pop/rock with all the attitude you can fit between the start and the finish. Actually, this tune has an odd theatrical quality to it, like it's destined to be featured in a rock movie musical or maybe just a real solid and wicked music video. Funhouse (5 out of 5): Celebrating annihilation ... complete with its own countdown. "This used to be a funhouse, but now it's full of evil clowns." The title track is exactly the kind of song your grandparents warned you about when they said, "Stop listening to that rock'n'roll ... it's so violent." Yes, it's so deliciously destructive, and it's arguably one of the best tracks here. Crystal Ball (5 out of 5): Smoky & reserved, it's that other kind of song that Pink does extraordinarily well. Just her voice & a twinkling guitar. Questions about the future abound, but just greet them like you would any challenge, and you'll be fine. Hint: even that crystal ball cracks, folks. Honestly, I could listen to her sing this song and play that guitar softly for hours on end. Mean (5 out of 5): Pink does southern fried rock like Aerosmith does (and ISN'T that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler singing back-up as he's done with her before?), complete with the blues-backed twangy electric guitars. This is the kind of vocal performance that Grammy's OUGHT to be celebrating. A big (but heartfelt) rock ballad complete with the F word worked in for good measure. "It's like a train wreck trying to hit the right track ..." Asks and tries to answer the question about how, why, when, and where the relationship went wrong. It's All Your Fault (3 out of 5): It's the kind of track you'll be hearing playing in the background of a Spencer's Gift store for the next six months and always wonder what that's all about. Great driving undercurrent, the kind of track some kids love headbanging to these days. For all its strengths, it's the kind of song whose lyrics either means something to you or they don't. Ave Mary A (5 out of 5): A flat-out indictment of the world we've created, complete with questioning one's faith alongside with how we got where we are. Glitter in the Air (5 out of 5): A song that speaks to the simplest, magical pleasures of life, like a child throwing a handful of sparkling glitter into the air. Pink squeezes more depth, passion, and humanity into these four minutes that many of her peers squeeze out of an entire career. This Is How It Goes Down (5 out of 5) Sexy, subversive, and sinful, the perfect exclamation point to this visit to the FUNHOUSE. I could've done without the rap interlude by Travis McCoy, but that's only a matter of taste. Well, after all is said and done, what is Pink's FUNHOUSE? I could be wrong (I've been wrong before), but I think she's singing about life ... the good, the bad, the tragic, the charm, the ecstatic, the love, the loss ... all of it rolled into one is the 'funhouse,' a ride that once we're all on board we have no other choice but to ride it all out ... thru the good times and the not so good times. There's something here for everyone -- much like life -- and no one should walk away disappointed. Musically, this album is absolutely terrific, and, lyrically, it's absolutely top rate. I haven't felt so excited about an artist's total release in an awfully long time, and here's hoping that Pink finds the success she so much deserves with this trip thru her own personal funhouse. Not as much fun as you'd think, but still wildly entertaining... It's really too bad record labels don't actually listen to the artists opinions in the mainstream nowadays. Songwriter this, producer that, marketing execs all over the place! Most new acts don't even have the advantage of crafting what THEY want to, even if they do want to, and if they don't they can slink along with formulated garbage & still sell a couple million records. But for every one of those artists, we have true talent in the pop world. Yes, it's hard to find, but it comes around once every year or two & it's name is P!nk. Throughout her decade-long career, this lady has went from something worse than a gimmick - a bad gimmick - on her first album, to a complete turnaround with her second & corresponding albums. From the moment she yelled "Get the Party Started" on her sophomore effort, you knew she was going to do it her way, and her way is indeed the way pop music should be done. P!nk scored some points critically with her third release, Try This, but failed to make an impact commercially. Such is alwasy true with great music: it gets ignored 99% of the time on the radio waves. The follow-up, I'm Not Dead, rejuvenated her career in a way, becoming a sort of crossroads between her artistic ability & her mainstream propularity. And oh yeah, in the midst of it all she got married...and now she's divorced. Thus we have the latest offering from P!nk, the "breakup record" atrociously titled Funhouse. This brings me back to the first sentence of this review: it's too bad the labels don't listen. P!nk originally wanted to title this project a much different way. That title, Heartbreak is a M*********er, oddly enough would've described the album PERFECTLY. Instead the label didn't want controversy, so the very misleading Funhouse takes it place. Let me be clear here, people, this is not a "fun" album. It has it's moments, but there is more heartbreak than good times, and more reality than fantasy. Whatever label exec made the decision to rename this disc NEEDS TO BE FIRED IMMEDIATELY! But back to the album: what a platter of emotions this is! If it weren't such a bold statement, I'd compare it to another powerful female record, Alanis Morisette's multi-platinum Jagged Little Pill. Except this one is 80% less anger-driven, and has more a sense of loneliness & confusion than the confidence displayed in Alanis' work. Yet everyone whose anyone listening to FM radio heard "So What", the braggadocious breakup jam & lead single off this set, and thought of how "fun" this "house" could be. Skip to tracks 2, 3, 4, & 5...you'll be realizing the truth of the matter. P!nk is obviously heartbroken, but desn't quite know where to place her feelings. Is she resentful or is she glad it's over? Is she lonely & depressed or bustin' out her "rock moves" at the nearest bar? The truly fun part of this album is that you never quite get the answer to any of these questions. She knows she contradicts herself, and quite frankly, she doesn't give a damn. Now don't get me wrong, I think this album is excellent, I just think the portrait of what the label & most media outlets would have you believe is not the portrait of what this album really is about. There is a bit more fun, in the form of "Bad Influence," the awesome decleration of P!nk's love for parties, and the funky title track, in which she declares "this used to be a fun house / but now it's full of evil clowns". She even declares to "burn the ****er down" when referring to her "funhouse" on the same cut. So regardless of it being upbeat or not, P!nk can't help but to throw some bitter reality into even the breeziest pop tune. At least this time around, anyway. Bringing us back to the original title, that's really the gist of the whole LP: heartbreak IS a **********er, and this girl's obviously had her fill of it. Only about 2 or 3 songs on this set are about topics other than breakups & rocky relationships, but that can be forgiven when you look at how entertaining the overall package is. The lyrics are meaningful, the melodies are either very catchy or sometimes haunting (ex: "Crystal Ball"), and you come out feeling exactly how P!nk wanted you to in the end. Just as in touch with the sobering realities of life & love as you could possibly be. Good album, but not great..a lot of jumbled pop on this one... I've liked most every album Pink has put out, not every song, but a lot of songs on those albums. I bought the whole CD of Funhouse because I tend to like her songs that never get very popular or get played on radio like 18 Wheeler and Misery from M!ssundaztood or Nobody Knows and Who Knew. Songs that display her strong voice without all the gimmicky touches some of her other songs have. Don't get me wrong, though...I love Don't Let Me Get Me & Just Like A Pill too, just not as much. This CD is no where near as strong as M!ssundastood was but a little less strong than I'm Not Dead. Four songs seem to stand out for me, though I'm sure others will be popular. The songs "I Don't Believe You", "One Foot Wrong", "Please Don't Leave Me" & "Mean" to me are the best songs on the CD (Tracks 3,4,5 & 9). "I Don't Believe You" especially captures her vocals in their best light. It's a very strong, emotional, lyrical, melodic ballad. It's old school vocals and melody show her to still have a great voice and nobody's pretender. "Mean" is another good, strong no non-sense song that shows off her voice. The other two tracks; "One Foot Wrong", "Please Don't Leave Me" are a step down from the first two I mentioned, and the rest of the tracks are on one more step down. She still has an amazing voice and can really belt out some good music when she's got the right material, I just wish there was more of that on this CD. Worth getting for $10, though.

   

Kodak Zi8 HD Pocket Video Camera (Black) NEWEST MODEL
From Kodak

Kodak ZI8 Pocket Video Camera black Its small enough to fit in a pocket, but why would you ever want to put it there? Whether out on the town or just hanging with friends, the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera captures every experience in stunning 1080p HD video. Stay in focus while youre on the move with integrated image stabilization. Then kick back and watch all the action on your HDTV or share your scene on YouTube with the built-in USB. The Zi8 pocket video camera has all you need to define yourself in high definition.
Amazon Sales Rank: #42 in Camera & Photo Color: Black Brand: Kodak Model: Zi8 Black Original language: English Dimensions: 1.35 pounds Display size: 2.5
Define yourself in high definition. It’s small enough to fit in a pocket, but why would you ever want to put it there? Whether out on the town or just hanging with friends, the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera captures every experience in stunning 1080p HD video. Stay in focus while you’re on the move with integrated image stabilization. Then kick back and watch all the action on your HDTV or share your scene on YouTube with the built-in USB. The Zi8 pocket video camera has all you need to define yourself in high definition. Product Features Take full HD 1080p videos wherever you go Get sharper videos and less blur thanks to built-in image stabilization Premiere your videos in the palm of your hand with the vivid 2.5-inch color LCD No cables to worry about–just swing out the USB arm to upload, share and charge Get a new perspective–take amazing 5 MP 16:9 widescreen HD still pictures Share on Facebook and YouTube with ease–built-in software makes editing and uploading simple Compatible with PC and MAC (Use with Apple iLife Suite of products) operating systems Compatible with iTunes for syncing with Apple TV, iPhone and iPod Devices Plenty of room for more–record up to 10 hours of HD video (Record ~20 min per 1 GB at 720p HD at 30 fps) with the expandable SD/SDHC Card slot that can hold up to 32 GB Capture your friends in their best light with smart face tracking technology See more details and accurate colors in low light Make audio awesome–the external microphone jack lets you record in stereo Be ready for the big screen right out of the box with complementary HDMI cable Record from a distance or play back on your TV with ease with available remote control Grab attention and define your style with the ultra-compact design, stunning looks, and a range of colors What's in the Box: Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera KLIC-7004 Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery Adapter and cable for battery charging HDMI and AV cables Wrist strap User’s Guide ArcSoft MediaImpression Software for Kodak (on-camera)
Best camcorder if you're on a budget and need external mic input Check out my sample footage video on Youtube. On Youtube search "djeror zi8 low light" In my previous review of the Kodak Zi8 I was pretty frustrated at the fact that whenever I used the built in microphone the recorded videos had an annoying high pitch whine that made the audio from my videos almost unusable. Kodak recognized that this was an issue and created a firmware update that fixed the problem. It also fixed a few other things like the previous issue of the image getting darker as you zoomed in. They seem to have fixed all of the major problems with this firmware fix. I do tech product reviews so I need the following things: - External mic input - most of my videos are shot wearing a lapel mic - Macro mode - I have to get close to little tiny screens - SDHC memory - I go to all day trade shows, I need 10+ hours of video - Power options - I need to be able to shoot while AC power is plugged in or use a large external battery. - Under $200 - I'm poor. Because of these requirements no other camcorder can fit my needs. One cool thing about this camera is that it is much more upgradable than the other pocket cameras on the market. Con: -The built in microphone is OK now that they fixed the whining noise, but it's still not amazing. Work-around: - Don't use the internal mic... I use an Audio Technica lapel mic for 1 person interviews.Audio Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Omnidirectional Condenser Microphone For events I ordered a Sony stereo mic to use instead of the built in mic. Sony ECM-DS70P Electret Condenser Stereo Microphone . Although I wish that Kodak made the internal mic better, for the most part I am kind of excited that the Sony stereo mic will give me much better sound than any of the standard internal mics that any of the pocket cams have. Con: -Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) sucks a lot of juice. Also the Zi8 uses a proprietary battery rather than cheap swappable AA's. Battery life when shooting non-stop is 1hr 16min in 720p 60fps with EIS on. If you turn off EIS you get about 1hr 41min at 720p 60fps. Work-around: - Use the USB to power cable that comes with the camera in conjunction with an external battery source. This is a must if you are going to be recording for more than an hour with EIS, cause that's about what the internal battery will give you. Tekkeon TekCharge Rechargeable Li-Poly Battery You can just stick this battery pack in your pocket and connect the charging cable to the Zi8. This will allow you to record for a super long amount of time. I haven't tested to see what my total record time with the battery pack will be but it should be around 5X the standard recording time. (about 6 hours with EIS on, almost 9 with it off) This gives you the best battery life of almost any camcorder. Sure it's an extra cost, but when you're at an all day trade show you don't have to worry about running out of juice. Con: - Image stabilization can't rescue video you shoot while moving around. Any camera motion makes video awful. Work-round: - Accept the fact you should probably be using a mini tripod with this camera or at least stand still. Also, although it takes a bunch of time to process if you have the new iMovie the image stabilization processing you can do is light years beyond what the EIS in the Kodak Zi8 can do. One more important note. Make sure you buy high speed SDHC memory cards for this thing. If your SD card is not fast enough the camera will record for like 2 seconds and then stop with an error. It took me a while to figure out why the camera kept stopping recording when in HD mode but worked fine in SD mode. It was because of my old SD card. You need to make sure your SD card has a write speed of at least 9MB/s if you want to record in 1080p. These high speed cards cost more, but you need them for any camcorder that is going to record HD video to them, it's not just the Zi8. I think most Class 6 high speed SDHC cards should work. If you want to get the most out of this camera plan on spending an extra $100 - $150 in order to buy upgrade items. Personally I've come to the conclusion that the extra expenses were worth it. It all depends on what you plan on using the camera for. For a typical mom purse cam this would not be my recommendation, I would say go with a Flip Ultra HD. But for someone with particular needs like mine this camera may be the only one that fits the bill. Great Value, awesome! But don't expect it to compete with $3000 camera I rarely will type/review products but I've been a little frustrated reading the reviews of this product on Amazon and by users at other sites. Many users seem to think that this camera was designed to compete with expensive, professional cameras that cost thousands of dollars and produce full HD quality video. That's not what this is. Also, while my camera hasn't had the 'noise' issue from the Mic, i have seen a camera that had the issue and its BARELY noticeable. Its almost like a very quiet background noise from a Florescent light or something. Kodak has designed, marketed, and built a camera to compete with FLiP and has clearly produced a FAR better product. I'll keep it short and sweet and first explain who I am and what I am using this camera for. I use it for: -Home Videos/Fun stuff with old buddies and friends -For work when I need some quick video that's easy to upload online, or put in iMovie and edit -For work when I need more complex videos that may require editing, or somewhat lengthy video but I want the ease of use/portability. I have seen some of the problems stated with the internal Mic and I have had none of them (I do have the upgraded Firmware that is now standard 1.03, and Kodak says this completely eliminates the issue...again have never had the issue on my camera). A relative of mine was lucky enough to purchase this product when Kodak did an 'early' release a few months ago and occasionally his videos will have a bit of a higher pitched background noise, but it doesn't interfere with the sound from the video -- its just a light background noise that, honestly, i've heard on dozens of cameras. Don't forget, without an external Mic the camera only records mono so -- the sounds quality isn't going to be great anyway! The video is great, image stability isn't as advanced as those available on more expensive cameras but it is better than anything i've seen in a FLiP or other Kodak model. It does work and you can see a difference, even if its not huge. Its SO easy to flip between video modes. The 1080p is awesome, but sometimes its nice to move back down to 720 and the 60fps to capture 'action' footage. One negative -- which most people may see as a positive -- i do wish there were more settings, or at least the ability to play around with more features/edit modes. Its GREAT easy to use, its a point and shoot video camera -- but with the great lens and abilities, it seems like Kodak could have -- pretty easily -- had this camera competing with much higher end cameras. If all the hardware was put to great use this could compete with $500+ cameras. But I understand wanting to keep it simple. I like having the SD card. Some people would prefer the internal memory, and yes by the time you buy a decent sized SD card the camera is more expensive than the FLiP, but, the FLiP has a very limited memory. This camera is limited only by the size of the card...Definitely a positive! Finally, I know people that are both in the TV business and do a lot of Video blogging and they are drooling over this camera because of the external mic capabilities. One reason lots of 'pros' didn't like FLiP was because of the audio issues. Kodak has solved those, not to mention providing better quality video. Again this isn't something to shoot with if your a young film-maker or a die-hard amateur cinematographer. But if you need something cheap to get some great quality video, or need something super easy to use that is really portable....Take the plunge. And if your considering FLiP -- don't bother... Significant improvement over zi6 Since I already own a Kodak zi6, I will restrict my review to comparison between Kodak zi8 and zi6. Overall, I feel that zi8 is a significant improvement over the previous model. The video quality is definitely better than zi6 in all conditions, whether outside in bright sunlight or indoors in low light. The firmware is superior giving a more user friendly interface and buttons layout is much nicer. Unlike zi6 where setting menus was hidden, this time you get direct access to settings including controlling the screen brightness, altering mic sensitivity, turning image stabilization on/off and enabling/disabling face recognition. I think this is a great video camcorder at a great price. Go for it! ------------- update: Sep 24 2009 -------------- Upgraded to the latest firmware 1.03, and this eliminated the background noise in my recordings completely! Wow. Thanks Kodak for listening to costumers and quickly fixing the mic bug. [...]

   

Surrender
Tammi Yates

   

Road House: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
From Arista




To: hollyp from Vermont The song "Don't Throw Stones" was done by Cruzados (previouslyknown as Plugz). I agree, there is no doubt that this song belongs on this sound track. Jeff Healy is great but how can anyone rate this CD more than three stars because half of thegreat songs you hear in the movie are not on the sound track,?????. Oh yeah, good luck in finding "Don't Throw Stones"by Cruzados (or Plugz),I certainly can't. Great tunes, but where's the rest? I love this soundtrack-Jeff Healey really makes it work, but where is the song that the movie opens to? The one that is called "Don't throw stones" I can't find it anywhere and the video is too hard to read about the artist. Why wasn't it included in this great soundtrack? worthwhile just for the Jeff Healey cuts I don't normally care for soundtrack albums, but hearing Jeff Healey do "When the night comes falling" was too much to resist. The four Jeff Healey cuts make this CD worthwhile. They are so good that the rest of the stuff doesn't matter. In fact the other cuts make nice filler to space out the good stuff -- like listening to a radio station that alternates things you really like with other stuff you can just tune out.

   

Bones (Alex Delaware, No. 23)
By Jonathan Kellerman

When it comes to writing deftly layered, tightly coiled novels of suspense, #1
Amazon Sales Rank: #22650 in Books Published on: 2009-02-24 Released on: 2009-02-24 Original language: English Number of items: 1 Binding: Mass Market Paperback 448 pages
From Publishers Weekly In this run-of-the-mill police procedural from bestseller Kellerman, his 23rd novel to feature L.A. consulting psychologist Alex Delaware (after Compulsion), high school miscreant Chance Brandt has been assigned to perform community service at the Bird Marsh, a nature sanctuary near Marina del Rey. After Chance dismisses as a prank an anonymous phone call warning him that there's a corpse buried in the marsh, Lt. Milo Sturgis, now Special Case Investigator for the LAPD, and Sturgis's team find four bodies there, all women missing their right hand. When Sturgis identifies one of the victims as Selena Bass, who worked as a piano teacher for the wealthy Vander family, the police focus on Travis Huck, the manager of the Vanders' Pacific Palisades estate, as the prime suspect because Travis has a criminal past. Kellerman fans wanting more of the same should be satisfied, though Sturgis gets less benefit from Delaware's psychological expertise than usual. (Nov.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Two intriguing preliminary chapters suck readers right in to Kellerman’s latest Alex Delaware thriller, even though Delaware is disappointingly less active than usual in the story—doing hardly more than relating the circumstances surrounding the crime that he and his cop buddy, Lieutenant Milo Sturgis, are determined to solve. The mutilated corpse of a young music teacher, who turns out to be less than prim and proper, is dumped in a protected wetland. Nearby, buried in the marsh, are several more bodies, all of prostitutes whose right hands have been hacked off. Clues lead Sturgis and Delaware to the palatial digs of the music teacher’s young student, who is nowhere to be found. The only one home is the family’s gofer, who apparently has a juvenile record. Sturgis’ antennae really start twitching, though, when the young man disappears. Surely that’s the act of a guilty man. If the whole isn’t quite as suspenseful as initial chapters promise, Kellerman’s intriguing, often oddball characters (including a rookie detective) deliver the goods in this briskly paced procedural. Not among the long-running series’ best entries, but fans will be sufficiently entertained. --Stephanie Zvirin Review COMPULSION“A genuine page-turner . . . The comfortable banter that has helped make Delaware and Sturgis such durable crime-story heroes is as rapid-fire, keen, and wryly funny as ever, and the mystery they aim to solve is certainly not routine.”–BooklistOBSESSION“Jonathan Kellerman’s novels are an obsession; once started it is hard to quit.” –Orlando Sentinel“The characters are rich, the story’s well-plotted and you won’t stop reading.” –Boston HeraldGONE“The denouement accelerates to breathtaking, heart-pounding speed.”–Pittsburgh Post-Gazette“Sharply written and well-paced.”–Entertainment WeeklyRAGE“[An] adrenaline-fueled read.”–PeopleFrom the Hardcover edition.
He's back in fine form Jonathan Kellerman's books have been up and down for me in the last few years. It seems that once Robin left, the storylines left with her. However, in Bones, Kellerman's newest book, I finally found the "old" Alex. Witty, genuine, interesting. The story of murder of prostitutes and of a music prodigy is the center plot, but for me, what worked best in this novel was the strength of the Alex character (something that had been missing in the last few books) he felt present in this storyline. Of course, Milo is back and the banter and relationship between these two is always priceless. The story moves at a rapid pace and was intriguing enough to keep me reading throughout with an ending that was a tad predictable, but nonetheless satisfying. Finally, Alex is back. I liked "old" Alex better..... I just don't know about the direction this series is taking in the last few books. It used to be that Alex was a child psychologist, and occasionally he'd run across something he needed Milo's help on, or Milo would need Alex's take on a crime so that he (Milo) understood it better. Alex's patients were interesting and his cases were interesting. Now, Alex might as well be a cop. He goes along with Milo on every interview and every meeting, sits by while he does on-line research, and only seems to go home when Milo is going to type his report. Also, in earlier novels only Alex talked like a psychologist (Witness: "I didn't really get what was going on." Alex: "You had a hard time understanding the situation.") In this book, both Milo and Reed talk that way too. Sometimes I had to go back and really figure out who was speaking as they all sounded like Alex. This book was OK, but I'd like Alex to go back to his career and leave the cop work to Milo. A Grim Treasure Trove... When a body is discovered, via anonymous tip and openly displayed in a marsh near LA, the strangest thing about it is the missing right hand. Shortly thereafter, three other bodies are discovered - also missing hands. Then a man who goes to auctions for the contents of storage units finds a carved box containing small bones. Polished bones, like a treasure. The bones turn out to be human hands. Detective Milo Sturgis and his sidekicks, along with Dr. Alex Delaware, the psychologist who frequently consults for the LAPD, all team up to search for what now appears to be a very disturbed killer. Almost immediately, the first victim's connection to a wealthy family, whose musical prodigy child is a student of hers, leads to the pursuit of the caretaker, who has gone missing. Or is he hiding? Most of the fun in the story is following the clues as the assorted team of "detectives" pursues the connections and where they lead. Like most of Kellerman's Alex Delaware stories, this one is told with Alex as the first-person narrator - this technique lends itself to understanding how his clever mind works, as he sorts through the clues and speculates about the possibilities. We also are privy to a bird's eye view of his personal life, including his long term relationship with Robin. These segues into the lighter moments of Alex's life, including his friendship with Milo Sturgis, help to lighten what could otherwise be a very grim tale. And not at all surprising is the final revelation as to the motives and nature of the perpetrator/s - after all, the art of misdirection has been at play throughout the circuitous path to resolution. Bones (Alex Delaware, No. 23) is a must-read for Kellerman fans.

   

ED HARDY Christian Audigier Crystal Rock Womens Platinum Dragon Hoodie Shirt Hooded Sweatshirt Pink
From Ed Hardy

Christian Audigier has quickly become Rock Royalty through the tattoo designs of Ed Hardy. Celebrate who you are with this regal rock and roll with soul zip up hoodie! This dip dyed white, pink, and fuchsia cotton hoodie features a tonal all over tattoo design. The front has a printed picture of a dragon adorned with black and pink rhinestones and outlined with metallic stitch detailing. The Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier logo is embroidered on one of the pockets, as well as on the hood, both in metallic silver. Both sleeves depict the dragon design, only without the rhinestones. The back features the same design as the front only larger. Long, tunic-style zip up hoodie made with 5% spandex for comfortable fit! Style #A9ZVHAHJ. Fuchsia.

   

The Fall
Norah Jones



Album Description Vinyl LP pressing. 2009 release from the best-selling singer/songwriter. Norah has taken a new direction on the The Fall, experimenting with different sounds and a new set of collaborators, including Jacquire King, a noted producer and engineer who has worked with Kings of Leon, Tom Waits and Modest Mouse. Jones enlisted several songwriting collaborators, including Ryan Adams and Okkervil River's Will Sheff, as well as her frequent partners Jesse Harris and Richard Julian. Musicians include drummers Joey Waronker and James Gadson, keyboardist James Poyser and guitarists Marc Ribot and Smokey Hormel. The first single lifted from the album is 'Chasing Pirates'.
Another solid 4-star outing, and a 5-star vinyl LP Man, this girl is hot. Sizzling AND smoking. This is only my second venture into Norah Jones' territory, and it certainly will not be the last. She has not only pulled off a seamless stylistic transition, but she is also showing her clout in the recording industry by releasing her latest studio effort in a double-gatefold, 180-gram LP, complete with a full-size poster of her and her five dogs, for the price of a regular LP. Selling 36 million albums last year alone has it's perks! Music-wise, as with "Come Away With Me", the fidelity of the recording really shines through, and there is something for almost everybody stylistically. Coming from Texas with a jazz pedigree, her time in New York City has certainly widened her musical horizons. Overall, she is extending her reach a little more into rock n' roll, while staying true to the blend of bluesy jazz and pop that has defined her meteoric ascent into stardom. Reportedly, this is the first album that she has composed on a guitar, and it shows in a good way. Many will no doubt love the first track, "Chasing Pirates", as it really shows off her pop music side; it may be the one to really get some top 40 airplay. For me the first one that really jumped out was "Light As A Feather", which presents a lush aural landscape to show off her bluesy jazz side, which is the aspect of her music that most appeals to me. "You've Ruined Me", and "Tell Your Mama" get more into bluesy rock, and she does this very well. There are no mediocre songs on this album, and the wide range of musical styles she presents, while probably short-circuiting many potential 5-star reviews she may have garnered as a more stylistic purist, widen her appeal, and doesn't seem to be hurting album sales any. Norah Jones has a voice for the ages, there is no doubt about that. There are many industry heavyweights "helping" her (or is it the other way around?) on this latest effort, which may have helped with this stylistic transition, but compared to "Come Away With Me", the album can sound a tad over-produced in some places. But the new rock n' roll edge really shines through elsewhere in the album without being overpowering, and I am looking forward to more explorations into those areas from her in the future. The LP version of this album is an excellent value for any vinyl-lover, to be sure, even if you only like a couple of the songs. But in my experience with Ms. Jones, the songs I like the most now won't be the same favorites that I develop over time; maybe I will really warm up to "Chasing Pirates" after all. One of my favorite songs on this album is "Man of the Hour", which is an ode to her dog(s). Neil Young should be proud!

   

White Trash Christmas
From Zach Tison




As Heard on the Rick and Bubba Show! White Trash Christmas is a song of celebration! Zach Tison's catchy Christmas tune will make you want to sing along and cherish the trashy elements of the family holiday get-together. Highly recommended! Note: This is the version of "White Trash Christmas" that is played on the Rick and Bubba Show.

   

Terra Incognita
Gojira



Album Description Digitally remastered and expanded digipak edition of the French Metal band's 2005 album featuring three live bonus tracks. It has always been hard to put a tag on Gojira, one of the most extreme bands that France's musical pallet has ever known. But then again, the band has never really sought out such a tag, instead letting the music do the talking, preferring introspection and intelligence over preconceived notions and preexisting tags. Ever since the 1996 formation in town of Bayonne in the southwest of France, Gojira has been an ever-evolving experiment in Extreme Metal ultimately built upon a worldly, ever-conscious outlook with roots firmly-planted in an environmentally-conscious, new age mentality.
Nice debut!!! Let's start by saying this: I don't like to dissect cd's track by track. I don't purchase cds for individual songs. I look for the overall flow of the album. OK, now that that's out of the way, this is what you need to know about this disc. It rocks!!! Terra Incognita is a wonderful precursor to what is to come from Gojira. Chock full of wicked riffs. Speedy at times and sensational moshing. The intuitive interplay between the brothers Duplantier (percussion and guitar) is fantastic. And what's this I hear? Bass lines? And damn good ones at that. I read reviews of this band that question why they would add certain slower pieces to their music. Why question it? The percussion based offerings (mallet stuFFz) are just fine and fit into the overall sound of the disc. Stop trying to pigeonhole these guys!!! They are creative and a big step above lesser bands who only try to be "the heaviest band ever". This is what sets them apart. They are secure with their heaviness and not afraid to put their genius out there for everyone to hear. No matter where it may take them. Better than The Link, on par with From Mars... This is an excellent debut. Not only are the songs top notch, but the production is too. The production of this cd sounds way better than The Link. The Link was even remastered, and this album still sounds better. The songs are also better in my opinion, considering it's older. The album has a very moody groove oriented feel, and is extremely heavy of course. This album is also full of very staccato off-time chunk riffs which I've come to love Gojira for. Also, pinch harmonic squeals are all over the place, and are very tasty. The album probably has my favorite Gojira riff on the song Space Time, nothing could be more heavy or groovy. Slowly this band is becoming one of my favorites, and the style of Death Metal they play was almost forgotten, but Gojira are here to spice it up. For fans of Obituary, and Death, Gojira is your saviour. The New Gods of Death Metal If you are a death metal fan who enjoyed listening to the greats such as Death, Atheist, Morbid Angel, this album will no doubt get you revved up for the new generation. Enjoy!!!

   

Monster Ballads
From Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

2 CD set of Rock Ballad songs from the 80's. 35 songs total. Some of the tracks are - Heaven by Warrant, Carrie by Europe, High Enough by Damn Yankees, Goodbye by Night Ranger, Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon, Second Chance by .38 Special, Eternal Flame by the Bangles, Is This Love by Whitesnake, When I Look Into Your Eyes by Firehouse, The Angel Song by Great White, Amanda by Boston, Almost Paradise by Mike Reno & Ann Wilson, Honestly by Stryper, Waiting for a Girl Like You by Foreigner. Awesome CDs if you like 80's rock!!!


The best version of Monster Ballads This version is the original 2 Disc set sold on Tv. I noticed the songs are not listed on the web page, so here's the play list... Disc 1, tracks 1-17: #1. Heaven - Warrant, #2. Something To Believe In - Poison, #3. When I See You Smile - Bad English, #4. Don't Know What You Got - Cinderella, #5. Love Is On The Way - Saigon Kick, #6. Headed For A Heartbreak - Winger, #7. When I'm With You - Sheriff, #8. Carrie - Europe, #9. I'll Never Let You Go - Steelheart, #10. High Enough - Damn Yankees, #11. The Ballad Of Jane - L.A. Guns, #12. Goodbye - Night Ranger, #13. Can't Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon, #14. This Could Be The Night - Loverboy, #15. Never Tear Us Apart - INXS, #16. Second Chance - 38. Special, #17. Eternal Flame - Bangles... Disc 2, tracks 1-18: #1. Is This Love - Whitesnake, #2. To Be With You - Mr. Big, #3. Wind Of Change - Scorpions, #4. More Than Words - Extreme, #5. When I Look Into Your Eyes - Firehouse, #6. The Angel Song - Great White, #7. Eyes Without A Face - Billy Idol, #8. Don't Close Your Eyes - KIX, #9. Almost Paradise - Mike Reno & Ann Wilson, #10. Amanda - Boston, #11. House Of Pain - Faster Pussycat, #12. More Than Words Can Say - Alias, #13. Honestly - Stryper, #14. Missing You - John Waite, #15. Only Time Will Tell - Nelson, #16. Waiting For A Girl Like You - Foreigner, #17. Take Me Home Tonight - Eddie Money, #18. Don't Walk Away - Danger Danger... This is one of my favorite Cds. There's only two songs on it that I don't like, which isn't bad considering it has 35 songs.

   

SanDisk Sansa Fuze 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Red)
From SanDisk


Amazon Sales Rank: #362 in Consumer Electronics Color: Red Brand: SanDisk Model: SDMX14R-004GR-A57 Platform: Windows Format: CD Original language: English Dimensions: .65" h x 1.50" w x 2.17" l, .10 pounds Display size: 1.9
With the SanDisk Sansa Fuze, you can fuse your portable entertainment, featuring 4 GB of storage. Listen, watch, and play all day with 24 hours of battery life and room for up to 1,000 songs**. Watch your favorite video clips on the Sansa Fuze's 1.9-inch color screen. Measuring just 0.3 inches thin, the Sansa Fuze marks the next wave of music and video players. Your portable music machine with 4 GB of storage. (Click image to view larger.) The MicroSD/SDHC memory card slot means storage possibilities are essentially unlimited. (Click image to view larger.) Smaller than a credit card and as thin as a pencil, the new Sansa Fuze MP3 player looks great--and has the brains to match. (Black player shown here; click image to view larger.) Audio Player Smaller than a credit card and as thin as a pencil, the new Sansa Fuze MP3 player looks great--and has the brains to match. With room for up to 1,000 songs**, you can listen all day long. Jam to FM radio with 40 preset stations, play with the built-in voice recorder, and listen to your favorite audiobooks wherever you go. And with 24 hours of battery life, you're free to listen, watch, and play all day--literally. Watch Your Favorite Videos The Sansa Fuze comes with 4 GB of built-in memory enough to store 12-hour video playback segments. Watch your favorite video clips from wherever you are. To ensure speedy file transfers, the unit features a USB 2.0 connection. Simply connect the player to a PC, and start dragging files from your Windows Media Player 10 or 11 applications. Expanded Capacity With an option to extend the capacity, its MicroSD/SDHC memory card slot means storage possibilities are essentially unlimited. Expand your music collection, show albums of photos with up to 2,000 images**, and watch your favorite videos on those long trips. Compatible Formats The player supports MPEG4 video files and audio files saved in MP3, secure and unsecured WMA, WAV, Audible, and Overdrive file formats. FM Radio If you're feeling like a break from your own tunes, or want to dial in the TV frequency at the gym, use the digital FM tuner. Save your favorites on the 40 user presets. Voice Recorder Use the voice recorder with built-in microphone to take memos, record meetings or lectures, or capture whatever else you might feel inclined to point a microphone at. When you're ready, transfer your files for listening on your PC. What's in the Box SanDisk Sansa Fuze 4 GB MP3 player (red), earphones, USB 2.0 cable, quick start guide * 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes; some of the listed capacity is used for formatting and other functions; thus, it is not available for data storage ** Based on continuous audio playback at 128 kpbs MP3; video playback at 512 kbps/ MPEG 4; photos based on 1.7 MB average file size; battery life and performance might vary depending upon usage and settings; battery not replaceable. Listen, watch and play all day with up to 24 hours of juice*** and room for hundreds of pix and flix. Smaller than a credit card and as thin as a pencil, this clever little player can put up to 1,000 songs**, 6 two-hour movies***, or 2,000 photos* in your pocket. Plus, unlike other MP3 players, your Sansa Fuze player isn't done when your battery's done. Just re-charge it. And while you're at it, add another memory card whenever you like--and just keep growing your entertainment library. Listen Keep hundreds of tunes or hours of audiobook listening at the ready wherever you go. Or tune into FM radio for news and fresh music anytime. And you've got up to 24 hours for audio playback and 5 hours of video playback with your internal rechargeable battery***. Watch Keep hours of home video or your favorite movies at the ready--and load them onto your Sansa Fuze player quickly thanks to USB 2.0 connection. Just drag and drop files from your Windows Media Player 10 or 11 applications. Record With the built-in microphone, you can record memos, lectures or all those unexpected, mic-worthy moments throughout your day. When you're ready, transfer the files to your PC for listening and sharing. Grow Storage possibilities are essentially unlimited because, unlike other MP3 players, you can swap out the memory card. So get a bigger card or start a memory card library to hold your whole universe of entertainment. Get together The Sansa Fuze player supports MPEG-4 video files and audio files saved in MP3, secure and unsecured WMA, WAV, Audible and Overdrive file formats**. So what's in the box? SanDisk Sansa Fuze MP3 player, earphones, USB 2.0 cable, quick start guide. * 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes. Some capacity not available for data storage. ** Approximation based on 4-minute songs at 128kbps. *** Approximation based on 512kbps video stream. * Based on 2MB average file size. ** Videos (MPEG-4) Music (MP3, WMA, secure WMA and audio book file formats), Photos (JPEG). For additional specifications, please go to sansa.com for more information. *** Based on continuous audio playback at 128kbps MP3; video playback at 512kbps/MPEG4; battery life and performance may vary depending upon usage and settings; battery not replaceable. Choose Sansa, a smarter way to play Sansa products are brought to you by SanDisk, the minds behind flash memory. Around the world, wherever people take pictures, listen to music, use cell phones--or do much of anything at all with digital devices--you'll probably find SanDisk products. Maybe that's why, after more than 20 years in the business, SanDisk has never stopped innovating.
Sansa Fuze 4GB Red MP3 Excellent product! My only complaint is that no really detailed instructions were included, and so I wound up learning a little about how this product interfaces with my computer by trial and error, which did waste a bit of my time. Once I figured one or two things out, tho, I found this little MP3 to be user-friendly, and very enjoyable. It has great sound, and I am enjoying listening to my local NPR station alot more easily than I do on my old school dial radio in my bedroom. I especially love having so many of my favorite songs at my fingertips, and the size and weight are great advantages for my upcoming vacation, as I will be traveling by bus, and this is alot less cumbersome than my old CD player and 40 CDs would've been. The graphics are easy to understand, and the red color is so me! Cudos also to Amazon -- this thing arrived with lightning speed, very impressive, and it gave me plenty of time to rip and sync. One accoutrements package later, and it was all good. Alot of my co-workers are impressed that this little baby does so much for such a great price. And also, I have small ear canals, and have found the Sansa earbuds to be the most comfortable of the several pairs I own, not too shabby! All in all, great product, great price. Thanx alot!!! Great player with radio caveats This product has performed very well for me with regard to playing mp3 files. The battery last a long time, and the sound quality seems very good. There are 3 gripes I have: 1) The FM radio functionality of the player died a month after purchasing it. All other functionality seemed to work fine. I replaced the player, and paid another 20 bucks to have the warranty extended. 2) The reception for the radio seems quite poor. Even inside of town--- many regular radio stations seem very 'staticky'. 3) The volume of the player does not seem all that loud. Even with better earphones that go inside your ear (I bought after getting the player)---- it seems to produce less volume than other players I have heard. Other than these issues, it has been a pretty decent device. Really nice player i actually bought this player at Best Buy but i thought i'd write the same review i did on best buy site and hopefully it would help some people make decisions. I was looking for an mp3 player with radio and voice recording feature which crossed out ipod off my list and led me to sansa fuze. i gave 4 star because i had some trouble with converting and putting videos in the player. Design i was worried a little bit when i was pictures online because it looked very shiny and plastic. i bought it anyway cause it met my needs. it really looks nothing like the picture, the red is dark and rich, the shininess doesn't look cheap at all and the wheel is matte (is that the right word? kinda like brushed metal) like the back, which makes this player look really high quality in my opinion. i was very happy when i opened the box to see all this. Features i only had this for couple of days, but no major problems so far. i've only tested out audio, video, and radio. the sound quality is really great and custom eq is very nice. radio is awesome as well, nice clean signals without static etc. putting/converting videos on this player (even with the sansa media converter) was a pain and it took hours of search on google but i found the forum with the solution. here's the link to the forum if anyone needs it. http://forums.sandisk.com/sansa/board/message?board.id=smc&message.id=933 after going through all that, i put in some videos of concerts which looked really good. it's not crystal clear or really high quality but the screen is kinda small to watch long videos so it should satisfy anyone who thinks the video feature is a nice plus. i haven't tested out the voice recording and the micro sd card slot but i think they're gonna be awesome. you can put in 8gb micro sd card and make this 12gb player for little bit over $[...]! and with all these awesome features? it's definitely a must buy for people looking for a great deal. Mac compatible! by the way, this player works with Mac! you can't put videos or photos on it, but you can put music in it by drag and drop. i think even if you can't use is to watch videos or pictures, it's a great deal for a 4gb player that has expandable memory. i'd recommend this player to all microsoft and mac users. but make sure to buy the $[...] replacement plan just in case the wheel or usb port breaks by using them alot. hope this lengthy review helped a little!