gabriella

Product: Hewlett-Packard FA299A#ABA List Price: No List Price Available Average customer review: Amazon Price: Too low to display Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

Compare Prices on Hewlett-Packard FA299A#ABA

The iPaq hx2415 is my second PDA. It is replacing my slower, but still fully functional Compaq iPaq 3635, one of the original iPaqs. I loved it and used it daily for everything from productivity to entertainment. My review is going to be more of a comparison between the two devices.

Expansion/Memory Cards:

The hx2415 is awesome! It’s everything I had in the 3635 and so much more. Because my 3635 did not have any built-in expansion card slots, I had the compact flash expansion sleeve, which added bulk and took away from the slim, ergonomic style. In searching for a new PDA, one of my main requirements is that it would have to take compact flash cards natively, without an attachment. There are others on the market, however, I never had any problems out of my Compaq so I wanted to stick with the HP/Compaq brand. Not only does the hx2415 take the compact flash, it also takes the secure digital (SD) cards as well! Great job on providing multiple expansion slots HP.

Display:

I have been doing research and looking at the newer PDAs for about six months. The vast improvement in the displays just blew my 3635 out of the water. The colors are brighter, sharper and much more crisp on the hx2415 and the newer PDAs. Without a doubt, it was much easier on the eyes, even with the screen protector that I put on, right out of the box.

Battery:

I bought my 3635 new in the summer of 2001. I replaced the battery myself with a high-capacity battery. The original was down to about 20 minutes of good usage per full charge! After the new battery, I could go for a week and a half with more than my normal daily usage and the backlight on! Having said that, the standard battery of the hx2415 doesn’t compare, which is why I’m getting the high-capacity battery for it as well. I love the fact that it is removable and I don’t need any tools to replace it.

Design:

When the iPaq was first introduced, it’s radical style was on the cutting edge. One of the main reasons I bought it is because it was unlike any other PDA at the time. It made all the Palm devices look like standard calculators. I loved the placement and functions of the buttons. They were all right where they needed to be. On the hx2415, it’s even better because the buttons are designed so that it is not as easy to accidentally press one of the buttons, especially the voice recorder.

Networking:

Aside from infrared on the 3635, in order to do any type of networking with my iPaq, I needed to get add-on cards, which I didn’t want to do. The hx2415 takes care of all of your networking needs - from infrared, to Wi-Fi, to Bluetooth. It has it all.

Applications:

HP has included great applications that I found were very easy to use. I guess being a previous owner of an iPaq helped too. But it won’t be a problem for those just buying their first PDA either.

Sound:

This is probably the only thing that I wish would have been better on the hx2415. The sound is not what I’m used to on my 3635. The speaker was a lot bigger and produced a much louder sound. I very rarely had the volume maxed on it. With the hx2415, the volume is all the way up - all the time.

Overall I am smitten with my new iPaq. I paid over $500 for my 3635 brand new (with cradle, charger, case, and expansion sleeve). I found this hx2415 for $370.00. What a deal! I couldn’t be happier.

One thing I would like to mention, which isn’t a problem with the iPaq as much as it is a problem with the PocketPC interface. I recommend you get a third-party management utility, such as Wisbar. It makes using the iPaq so much easier and fun. One thing I dislike (and probably most PPC users do as well) is that when you open an application, such as Pocket Word, there is an ‘X’ button to close the application. However, the ‘X’ button is more like a ‘Minimize’ button because the program is still active. You have to navigate through the settings control panel and close it from the running programs in the Memory task panel. So much of a hassle. But not with Wisbar. You’ll be glad you did!

I’m sure I’m leaving some other great features out, but these are what really drove me to buy the hx2415. Hope it helps you in your search!

After my Visor Edge died on me suddenly, I was considering buying another palm device, but I decided to try my first Pocket PC because of the ability to create and edit files created in Microsoft apps like Word and Excel. The other features interested me as well such as Windows Media Player, Bluetooth, expansion slots etc. Not to mention, it looks so good (even better in your hand).

I have been using my iPaq for over a week now, and I am loving it. Who needs to carry around an iPod when u have an iPaq. If u need hours of music, simply use a high capacity SD memory card and you are in hog heaven. Bluetooth works excellently. I have used it synchronize information with my PC and transfer files with my T610 cell phone. I have not had a chance to use WiFi as yet.

My friends and coworkers are all drooling over my iPaq. While I was researching which model to purchase, a coworker tried to convince me that a notebook was the way to go. I listed to her attentively and purchased the iPAQ hx2415. She quickly changed her mind when I started showing her the features the little iPaq had. Her exact words were, “It’s like a notebook…just smaller and cuter!” The clarity of the screen, processing speed, and functionality blew her away, in fact, right now she is considering buying herself an iPaq because she is tired of carrying around her notebook.

The device itself feels very good in hand, this is aided by the rubberized side grips. It is slightly heavier than my old Visor Edge, but I don’t mind. The things I am doing now on it, were only a dream with the Edge.

The only complaint I have is that the X button does not close apps, but minimizes them. Once you get used to that it is ok. To date, I have had no lockups. I have never had to reset the device. According to my research, lockups are usually caused by too many programs running in the background, which brings me back to my complaint, the X button. There is an iTask button that is used to close applications, but it would be better if the X button did what X buttons are supposed to do - close applications.

Also, help could have been better when it comes to the actual applications, although they are similar to the versions we are accustomed to in Windows.

As I am on the topic of applications, this device came with a nice selection of programs, plus the companion CD has more software, even though many of them are trial versions.

In conclusion, I am pleased with the iPAQ hx2415. I did alot of research on it, and so far, it has exceeded my expectations. My life now has order again and more music. I have found my new friend.

I got to try the various handhelds of friends and family over the years, but I never really felt the need for one. But in the last few years they’ve become much more than glorified clip boards. I have both a Windows XP PC and an older Mac at home, and it occurred to me that I could get by with just one PC, since my wife and I usually just check e-mail and surf the Internet anyway. The thought of checking my e-mail while soaking in the hot tub in our back yard had immense appeal too!

The latest models have tons of features, though they are still stripped-down versions of full PCs. On the plus side this makes them much simpler to operate. On the down side you have to be careful not to lose content in the files you synchronize through your handheld due to the different versions of software on your handheld and your PC. And there’s obviously not nearly as much software written for handhelds as for PCs.

At first I really wanted a Blackberry, as it combines a handheld with a cell phone, but I had just bought a new cell phone with contract and didn’t want to waste that money. Plus, the Blackberry really needs a wireless broadband Internet service to be useful… and that’s usually $50-60 a month. And since I already have DSL at home, and T1 or whatever at work, I couldn’t see spending more money for yet another fast connection service. I did have to shell out $59 for a wireless Linksys DSL router so my iPaq could use my DSL connection, but it works much better than the wired one I used to have (the old Linksys constantly needed to be rebooted).

The HP iPaq hx2415 is what I ended up buying, partly because it appeared to have all of the features I wanted, and because of HP’s good reputation. And price is now below $300!

Mine came with just Windows Mobile 2003, but even with the $35 the Windows Mobile 5.0 upgrade CD cost me, I was well ahead on price as these are on sale often now. I decided not to install Mobile 5.0 yet, as I wanted to test the older software first for various reasons. While I like Mobile 2003, there are some shortcomings, the major ones being:

1. Mobile 2003 doesn’t seem to support nested folders (at least I haven’t figured out how to view them). This is also true if you synchronize your Explorer favorites. The nested folders of favorites aren’t viewable, and don’t get transferred to your other PC; you need to place them only one level deep, no folders inside of other folders.

2. Mobile 2003 doesn’t retain all of your files and settings in the event of your battery completely dying or being removed.

3. The 2003 version of Pocket Excel doesn’t support charts. Fortunately I knew this before I bought it, or I might have lost the charts in some Excel spreadsheets I synchronize with my PCs at home and work. As a work-around I have the “convert files” setting unchecked. But that means I can’t edit Excel charts on my iPaq until I upgrade to Mobile 5.0.

These things are all improved in Mobile 5.0 (at least 2 and 3 are), so I highly recommend getting Mobile 5.0.

I usually read the manuals (yeah; I must be the only guy who does!), but this iPaq was so easy to work with right out of the box, that I was surfing the web literally within 10 minutes! Both my PCs are now synchronized with my iPaq and the e-mail server at work, and setup for this was incredibly easy (Note: I made sure to *not” convert files when synchronizing, so as not to lose charts in Excel due to the older version of Pocket Excel on the iPaq).

OK, the iPaq itself:

I love that it boots in about 2 seconds, instead of the 2 minutes my PCs take to boot! I can instantly access my synchronized e-mail by hitting one button (holding it down brings up my Wi-Fi settings); another button brings up my calendar (holding this button changes between landscape and portrait modes on the big display); another brings up my contacts. A button on the side brings up my notes; I love that! I usually just type in a quick note, but if I hold that button down, it brings up notes, then starts voice recording; great for when I don’t have two hands free!

The stylus and handwriting recognition work well, but I usually use the screen keyboard, though it’s slower than typing. I may invest in the $45 thumb keyboard some day.

The iPaq body is OK looking, and comfortable enough, but nothing spectacular. But it *is* small, light, and rugged; I dropped mine once with no problems. (I have a hard time believing the other reviewer set theirs down one evening and that the display cracked overnight while it was just sitting there; I’d talk to their janitors or kids!). I have plenty of memory for what I’m doing, but it’s upgradeable if I need more. Flash cards are so cheap now anyway.

So, for this first-timer, this handheld has sold me on the concept. I definitely recommend it!

The college football is played in smaller stadiums, which have benches for seats for those, note to discover the game. The team has a coach and goes through everything that a status level team follows. Only disagreement being these players are all students and powerful younger than league players. Also the college athletes are not paid a salary unlike the professional players, but they are entitled to any kind of financial assistance from their university. Most of the public schools today are fraction of the college football and seem to outdo the private teams. Anyone involved in sports will vouch for the fact that this game has most fun and is more nerve wrecking till the slay.

Since the college football matches originate 2-3 weeks after the NFL matches, buying college football imprint is not distinguished of a dilemma. In these games, there are no playoffs but only tidy bowls to settle who the winner is. And the very first Bowl game that was played was diagram help in 1902 between Stanford and Michigan and called the Rose Bowl. After this, there have been many bowl leagues played by the college teams in America slowly gaining popularity for this event. In all there are about four bowl games played at the ruin of which is the immense finale, the All stars championships which takes plot in January every year.

A game so illustrious that it is telecast by almost all sports channels draws crowds from various parts of the country. All of whom have been lucky to consume college football tickets and be exhibit to root for their teams. The sport is indeed filled with excitement and anxious fans waiting to seek who the winner will be. In this game, one cannot predict who the winner will be as every game is different and so for a person who wants to purchase college football tickets for a particular season, he will secure to be a fraction of the entire action in store.

How To Watch The Super Bowl Online

The first Monday Night Football game was played on September 21st, 1970 and pitted the Cleveland Browns against the current York Jets in Cleveland. The Browns won by a win of 31-21 over unique York and the rest was history.

During an October 29th, 1973 game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, MNF announcer “Dandy” Don Meredith had been drinking and uttered the immoral phrase “We’re in the Mile High City, and I definite am”.

On November 27th, 1978 the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers; earlier in the day San Francisco mayor George Moscone and city superintendent Harvey Milk had been murdered.

During a Miami Dolphins vs. recent England Patriots game on December 8th, 1980, announcer Howard Cosell broke the news to the entire nation that outmoded Beatle John Lennon had been murdered in front of his apartment in fresh York City.

Midway through the December 5th, 1983 game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys, Howard Cosell referred to Redskins receiver Alvin Garret (who is African American) as a “dinky monkey”. The commotion surrounding this event led to Cosell stepping down from Monday Night Football following the 1983 season.

On October 17th, 1983 the Packers and Redskins played the highest scoring game in Monday Night Football history with the Packers winning by a procure of 48-47.

One week later, on October 24th, 1983 the unique York Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals played to the first and only tie game in Monday Night Football history with catch being 20-20 after overtime.

The noted 1985 game between the Redskins and the Giants where Lawrence Taylor sacked Joe Theismann, breaking his leg and ending his career was shown on Monday Night Football.

Later in 1985, Monday Night Football would be the stage where the unbeaten 1985 Chicago Bears, on their plot to a well-organized Bowl Championship, would keep their only loss of the season to the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins would again earn Monday Night Football history the very next year when they were allotment of the biggest blow out ever on Monday Night Football. The Dolphins played the 10-1 unusual York Jets but defeated them by a accept of 45-3.

On October 17th, 1994 Monday Night Football hosted a duel for the ages. Joe Montana brought his Kansas City Chiefs into a game against the Denver Broncos led by John Elway. The Broncos were trailing 24-21 with 1:29 left in the game when Elway ran the ball into the endzone from four yards out giving his team the lead 28-24. Joe Montana then took his team on a 75 yard drive ending with a touchdown with 8 seconds remaining in the game giving the Chiefs a 31-28 victory.

On October 23rd, 2000 the Miami Dolphins and modern York Jets would again participate in a memorable battle. In the 4th quarter the gather was 30-7 in favor of the Miami Dolphins. Vinny Testaverde went on to lead the Jets in scoring 23 consecutive 4th quarter points to tie the game up. Then, Jets kicker John Hall kicked an overtime field goal for the victory making it not only the longest 4th quarter comeback in Monday Night Football history, but the second longest in NFL history.

In an October 6th, 2003 game between the Buccaneers and Colts, the Colts overcame a 35-14 deficit with 3:43 remaining to tie the game and then accumulate it in overtime.

On December 22, 2003, the Brett Favre of the Packers dismantled the Oakland Raiders by throwing for four first half touchdowns and 399 yards in the game resulting in a 41-7 victory. This game came one day after Favre’s father had passed away.

On December 5th, 2005 the Seahawks shutout of the Eagles by a gather of 42-0, tied the heed at the time for largest margin of victory in a Monday Night Football game. The game featured the Seahawks scoring three defensive touchdowns.

Monday Night Football has been host to some of the best games and most memorable moments in NFL history. Though the game is now brought to us by ESPN, football fans every where hope that tradition stays the same.How to Improve Your Football Game

Playing football is the accepted pastime of a lot of Americans. A lot even dream of someday getting into the NFL and gather consecutive desirable Bowls. This is why even at the high school levels; the competition for football is quite fierce. So many athletes go on through life thinking what it would have been like if they had only been more talented, but guess what; it doesn’t matter if you are less talented than the other guy, it’s a matter of having the apt qualities in you.

Before throwing your dreams of playing with the Indianapolis Colts aside, there are a few things that you should mediate first. There are a number of qualities that huge athletes such as Bret Favre, Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, and Muhammad Ali all have. Here are some of the traits that gave them the edge over other sportsmen.

Perseverance

In any allotment of life, there will always be obstacles that you will have to face. You must arrive out undeterred and go through these tough patches in your sporting career. It didn’t bother Bret Favre when he started out as a 7th string quarter encourage in college, being slit from his high school team didn’t discontinuance Michael Jordan from being called the “Greatest”. There is a saying that goes “It doesn’t matter how many times you drop, it’s how many times you catch wait on up”. Ok so you’re not the best passing quarter back; then work on it.

Focus

This is very primary especially in a world with endless temptations. Have a game the following day? Maybe you could skip that party and rest instead of waking up with a very awful hang over. You have training but at the same time you have your only chance to date the girl you’ve been crushing on for so long? Skip the date and allege. Once you originate improving your game and launch incandescent, so many potential partners are straggle to display up (probably even a ample upgrade from the one you cancelled on) .

Fearlessness

A lot of athletes are not able to shine because they become gripped with horror when they are given the chance to do so. So what if you dish out a dreadful pass? A lot of mountainous quarter backs have had hundreds of mishaps. It’s a matter of unprejudiced doing what you are supposed to when the just moment comes and not hesitate.

Have Goals

If you have a few things that you deem you nee to work on, then you could understanding and status goals for yourself. One effective draw is to actually write them down. commence with a main goal, then from there; obtain a region of smaller goals that will work your plot to that main goal. For example, if you feel that you’re endurance is lacking, you could begin running and timing each bustle. If let’s say you can urge 5k in 30 mins, then you could try doing 7k a month later, then add two again another month later. This contrivance, you have constant success and you are taking baby steps towards your ultimate goal.

Watch The Superbowl Online

Sounds like more states are going to follow the lead of the big three, Calif, Texas and Florida. It seems as though it is a fair assessment to randomly test schools and athletes in the ultra competitive world of high school sports. Yet, let’s be realistic about the criteria for testing and the safeguards regarding the testing process that must be in place. You have high school athletes competing for state titles and athletic scholarships that can’t afford to be caught. Not to mention coaches, teachers and athletic directors that can’t face that embarrassment. Schools both public and private are already flagrantly recruiting the top athletes to pad their record and sports scholarship stats.

So, what is a little more slight of hand to curb the drug policy going to matter.It should be clear that the guidelines are set just to test for athletic performance drugs. To randomly test athletes for conventional party drugs would eliminate most every water polo player around.

How To Watch The Super Bowl Online

Download The Beiderbecke Connection Online. Movie Title: The Beiderbecke Connection Average customer review: The Beiderbecke Connection is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Beiderbecke Connection

This makes a superb conclusion to Alan Plater’s brilliant Beiderbecke trilogy. The locations deserve a special mention - they really sum up North England in the 1980s! Just one gripe - where’s The Beiderbecke Tapes?

Stream Smiley Face Online. Movie Title: Smiley Face Average customer review: Smiley Face is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Smiley Face

For fans of Harold & Kumar, Half-Baked, Cheech and Chong, etc. this film may hold limited appeal. It doesn’t star buddy-buddy man-boys, it isn’t very sexist or homophobic, and it has humor, references and film technique that occasionally rise above the level of a sit-com. What it also has is an absolutely brilliant central performance by the eternally-underrated Anna Faris, who would be this generation’s Diane Keaton if anyone in Hollywood understood what to do with her.

Buy,Download, Or Stream Smiley Face! Click Here

Gregg Araki revisits many of the themes of his career from a totally fresh and unexpected perspective. It’s not realistic or terribly meaningful and it isn’t supposed to be. It’s just pure, delicious fun.

I’ve read some comments elsewhere that claim this film is anti-drug: ridiculous. Jane’s actions have consequences but she doesn’t seem particularly upset by it in the end. Every weed-movie of recent years including all those I mentioned above have featured people getting busted, cops, moralism, paranoia, and unrealistic hallucinations/behaviors to some degree. The only difference here in terms of content is that it stars a woman and is entirely about her experience. If you find that bothersome it might be worth asking yourself why.

Smiley Face is a great, funny, and stimulating change of pace from the normal stoner comedies. Yeah, sure it’s exaggerated, but the best ones ARE! ^_^ Wonderful, funny movie. Jane Lynch rocks it! Anna Faris is the new face of Comedy.

Stream Mad Men - Season One Online. Movie Title: Mad Men - Season One Average customer review: Mad Men - Season One is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Mad Men - Season One

It would be hard to imagine a more absorbingly intelligent American TV series–in terms of writing, acting, and visuals–than MAD MEN. Just before the final season of THE SOPRANOS began in late 2007, AMC presented us in the summer with the thirteen episodes of this marvelously atmospheric series created by one of the main writers of the series, Matt Weiner, that HBO insanely took a pass on. Ostensibly the series is about a group of advertising agency working for Madison Avenue advertising agency, the fictitious Sterling-Cooper, in 1960, during the Nixon-Kennedy presidential contest; yet on a deeper level the show wrestles with much larger questions about the meaning of obsession with having (and marketing) happiness in mid-20th-century America. The series centers primarily around four characters whose lives are inextricably linked with one another: Don Draper (Jon Hamm), a handsome advertising executive at Sterling-Cooper of few words but enormous creative gifts who hides a mysterious past; his beautiful but childlike wife Betty (January Jones), whom he keeps entirely separate in the suburbs from his work life and his mistresses in the city; Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), Don’s new secretary, whose naive affect and kind heart belie her tremendous ambition; and Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), the smarmy account executive who trades on his ties to the Old New York “Knickerbocracy” to get him ahead. The four central actors are absolutely first-rate, as are several within their near orbits: John Slattery as Roger Sterling, the roguish partner who is both Don’s friend and his competitor; the gifted Christina Hendricks, as the firm’s femme fatale head secretary; and Robert Morse, as the firm’s wily and eccentric senior partner.

Buy,Download, Or Stream Mad Men - Season One! Click Here

Morse’s presence ties the series to his famous work in both the Broadway and Hollywood production of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, and the episodes make intelligent reference also to any number of important American fictional works about the NYC business and suburban domestic worlds of the post-War era, including THE APARTMENT and THE BEST OF EVERYTHING. (Richard Yates’s REVOLUTIONARY ROAD and the films of Douglas Sirk are also repeatedly evoked too, if in less direct ways.) One of the pleasures of this fine DVD set are the superb extras which allow us to see the especially thoughtful work done by the series’ set designers, hairstylists, and (particularly) its head costume designer. The commentaries are generally excellent, and it will come as no surprise to fans of the series that not only the series creator, Matt Weiner, and its writers are especially eloquent but so too are its actors, especially Hamm and Kartheiser. The eye-catching design of this DVD package (fashioned to look and open, naturally, like a classic American manufacturer’s product: a Zippo lighter) has been rightly praised for its innovation but also rightly criticized for its unwieldiness.

Mad Men is one of those very rare TV shows that is both superb and popular. Sometimes there really is a TV god. Unlike great shows like Friday Night Lights, people are watching and the awards are rolling in - 16 Emmy nominations, more than any other drama this year.

It’s 1960 in a Manhattan based advertising agency. The men have slicked back hair, crisp white shirts and perfect suits. What comes out of their mouths would get them slapped or sued if it happened today. Toots, babe, honey. Women are sex objects and they have less brain power - as one character says, “It was like watching a dog play the piano” when a certain female character with professional drive and passion exceeds the lowly expectations of the men.

Buy,Download, Or Stream Mad Men - Season One! Click Here

The women are no better. The head secretary tells another female that they (the men) designed the technology so simple that even a woman can use it. A mother smokes and drinks while pregnant and ignores the danger of a nearby child playing make believe with a plastic drying cleaning bag over her head. Some of the women act childish because that’s the role that’s been forced upon them. Others are starting to reject the social strait jacket and are rebelling - it’s the beginning of a new era and they are the foremothers of what is about to hit this nation like a baseball bat to the head.

The wall paper in one house is plaid and the cars are big and many have tail fins. There’s a cigarette in almost every scene - people cough and there’s no recognition of any connection in their minds. One major character smokes, drinks and eats with abandon and almost dies of a heart attack with, again, no recognition of cause and effect.

This show, unlike any on air or cable at this time, immerses you in its era. It’s authentic, real and grabs your attention. Quite simply, if you watch only one current show on TV this year it should be Mad Men.

Several reviewers have commented on the packaging. While it is a little more delicate than others, it’s still cool (it’s like a cigarette lighter) and you can handle the DVDs without damaging them. The DVDs are held in the case with a foam insert that doesn’t scratch the surface. When you take the DVDs out you have to gently push against the top side with your (clean) fingers and gently push upward. They will come out and you won’t smudge or scratch the surface. If the DVDs are getting damaged it’s because people are just grabbing both sides of the disc and pulling it out. Unlike other reviewers, I have not been impressed with other boxed sets where you end up literally breaking the plastic sprockets that hold the DVDs in place. If you want really poor packaging just look at the complete West Wing. In any case, you can handle these DVDs and not damage them.

The extras here are sparse but very good nonetheless. There’s an hour long behind the scenes docu that looks as all aspects of the show from character backgrounds to hair and art design to the actors feelings about their characters. It’s not full of that fluffy hype stuff you find on other DVD sets where they just show you short clips from the show and present it as somehow something new. You’ll actually learn something about the show. I would love to see full interviews with all the actors to talk about the characters they’re playing. Maybe we’ll get that in the season 2 set. As noted by others, the commentaries are minimal and a bit disappointing. Doesn’t really matter in the end as it’s still a superb show you simply shouldn’t miss.

Download Bell, Book and Candle Online. Movie Title: Bell, Book and Candle Average customer review: Bell, Book and Candle is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Bell, Book and Candle

Adapted from the stage comedy of the same name, Bell Book and Candle stars Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, fresh from their successful teaming in Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Novak plays Gillian Holroyd, a genuine, bonafide witch who runs a south seas antiquities shop. Falling in love with her neighbor, publisher Sheperd Henderson (Stewart), Gillian casts a spell on him. With help from her aunt (Elsa Lanchester), she obliges him to dump his fiancee, and ex college rival, and rush to her side. All of this goes against the grain of Gillian’s Endora-like mentor Mrs. DePass (Hermione Gingold), who does her best to counterract the love spell. Meanwhile, Gillian’s wacky warlock brother Nicky (Jack Lemmon) courts disaster by coauthoring a book on black magic with Sidney Redlitch (Ernie Kovacs). Legend has it that a witch can neither cry or fall in love. If she falls in love, she will lose her powers….can you guess what happens?

Rumor has it that this is the inspiration for the televisions series Bewitched. There are several striking, undeniable similarities. This film was released in 1958, and I find it just as enjoyable today as I’m sure it was then. Memorable performances by Novak as the icy-cool Gillian and Stewart in his last “romantic leading man” role drive the film. Jack Lemmon and Elsa Lanchester add a lot of quirky flavor as Gillian’s spell casting family. Fast pacing, clever writing, great costumes and fabulous eye-popping technicolor make this a film worth watching over and over. It’s sure to cast a spell on you too.

If watching unpredictable films are your cup of tea, Bell, Book and Candle is the one to watch. The teaming of James Stewart and Kim Novak is excellent. The supporting roles from Elsie Manchester and Jack Lemmon bring a touch of comedy to the movie. And the sloppiness of Ernie Kovacs as the snooping author brings dimension to the story.

A scene at the Zodiac Club where Lemmon bangs on the bongos with his combo brought the atmosphere of the counterculture of the late 1950s in Greenwich Village. It was hilarious when the band blared their tune of “Stormy Weather” and speeded it up in front of James Stewart’s character’s fiance. You could feel the tension between Kim Novak and the woman since Novak’s character was a witch, and was falling for Shep(Stewart) she got Nickie(Lemmon) to get the band to annoy Novak’s rival. I thought this scene stood out.

Though some make think the movie is outdated, it is not at all. I loved the wintery street scenes of New York during Christmas time and the swurling colors of purple, pink,and green throughtout the film. The soundtrack was good too.

An excellent romance film, but also a film of relationships of characters from different worlds.

Download The Chorus Online. Movie Title: The Chorus Average customer review: The Chorus is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Chorus

Prisons are filled with people without hope; perhaps especially prisons which house young boys. Devoid of the normal pleasures of life in which boys delight, these ruffians lead desperate, bland, colorless lives of few joys, little change, and little love. Into this drab, dreary, and harsh enviornment arrives our lovable dreamer, Prefect Clement Mathieu.

Buy,Download, Or Stream The Chorus! Click Here

A frustrated musician/composer, Mathieu has an idea: organize this rag-tag group of troublemakers into a boys choir. Like a wildflower in the field, this group springs into beautiful song and harmonies. It also upsets a few people along the way. No good deed goes unpunished, as Mark Twain said, and this one is no exception.

Mathieu is different than the other prefects and administrator/teachers, he loves the boys and in that lies the difference.

Buy,Download, Or Stream The Chorus! Click Here

The Chorus is a sweet, gentle, moving film. Everything about it is exceptionaly well done. Remarkable acting, writing, filming, and storytelling make this a film which lingers sweetly in the mind of the viewer, long after the credits have scrolled by.

Many people with failed careers often turn to education as a refuge where they still can be a part of what they love the most. These refugees usually do not have any idea of what they are about to do to themselves, as they are about to face young people who believe they know everything or lack the enthusiasm that they possess. Often it turns out to be a wake-up call that the previous job was not that bad after all, despite previous failures. Some of these refugees turn out to be excellent educators while others fail again. In Les Choristes, known as the Chorus here in United States, the audience is introduced to one of these refugees that is about to embark on a rough voyage, as he has taken a job as supervisor in a boarding school for troubled children.

Christophe Barratier who directs Les Choristes has previously produced excellent films such as Himalaya (1999) and Winged Migration (2001). The story that Barratier tells opens in New York where a man is half in slumber on a couch when someone awakens him in order to inform him that there is an emergency phone call for him. It appears that the man’s mother has just passed away, which leads him to return to home. When the man arrives home the audience can deduct through the mise-en-scene that the man is the best conductor in the world. After the funeral a strange man knocks on the door to ask the conductor if he recognizes him while he has a gift for him from an old teacher. The gift is a journal in regards to what happened in the year of 1949 at the Fond de l’Etang boarding school.

The journal was a gift from his old teacher, Clement Mathieu (Gerard Jugnot), which brings the viewers back to the year of 1949. Through this flashback the audience is introduced to the school, the students, the teachers, and the headmaster Rachin while the story begins to take form. The school is designed to help troubled youth to get on right track before it is too late. This means that many of the students at Fond de l’Etang are up to no good whenever they get a chance.

Rachin runs the school with an iron fist with the motto: “action - reaction”, as he has lost all hope in the children’s ability and only sees the imperfections of the children. Mathieu arrives quickly understands the psychology of Rachin, as he is forced to punish a student upon his arrival despite the student being innocent to his knowledge. The road to gain the students’ trust is a long and difficult road, and more so to get them to follow the rules that he tries to set up. However, through compassion, self-irony, and a touch of humor Mathieu begins to get their attention.

Quickly Mathieu adjusts to the school environment, as he commences a tryout for a choir. Through the choir he gets the students to cooperate and build a meaningful sense of belonging. The educational methods that Mathieu uses win the students over, as they begin to do actual work while showing some progress. Unfortunately, Rachin sees the music as another way for the students to express themselves negatively and dishonorably. Rachin does not credit Mathieu for the students’ progress through the music, as he tells him to stop the choir immediately. Despite the order from Rachin the students go underground much like the French Resistance during World War II in order to continue their music lessons. Through these lessons Mathieu builds strong bonds with the students, as he wins their trust while teaching them the wisdom of music.

The theme of Les Choristes is not unique, which can be seen in films such as Dead Poet’s Society (1989), Dangerous Minds (1995), Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995), and Evil (2003). These stories are also regarding teachers in school settings that change students’ lives in some profound way. Another film that comes to mind is Cinema Paradiso (1989) that depicts an older man returning home to bury the man who changed his life. Les Choristes is a blend between these two themes.

Barratier’s storytelling elusively ushers the audience into a terrific cinematic experience. The technical aspects of filmmaking are reliable and shine in the moments when it is necessary to elevate a mood and a feeling. The theme, which has been used before, still is powerful, as it is an essential tool for expressing gratitude to those who educate the youth of the world. In the end, Les Choristes offers a truly joyful experience, as it displays that there is hope everywhere if one only tries to see it.

Stream Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 1 - The Bount Online. Movie Title: Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 1 - The Bount Average customer review: Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 1 - The Bount is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 1 - The Bount

According to Merriam-Webster, filler is “a substance added to a product (as to increase bulk, weight, viscosity, opacity, or strength).”

Buy,Download, Or Stream Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 1 - The Bount! Click Here

Well, it’s not a precise description, but it does explain the function of anime filler: episodes not based on the manga it springs from. And “Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 1 - The Bount” anime begins an entire arc not based on Tite Kubo’s manga, although it still manages to be pretty suspenseful, funny and action-packed.

The day after the gang’s return to the living world, Orihime is suddenly sucked into a vast replica of the Hell Gate, by a doppelganger of her brother. Her kidnappers are the mysterious Ririn, Kuroudo and Noba — and they quickly lure Ichigo, Uryu, Chad and Renji on a series of bizarre games. First it’s a chase around town, then a surreal maze in the local museum. Finally, they’re brought back to school, where they must uncover who the imposter among them is… or everyone will vanish.

Buy,Download, Or Stream Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 1 - The Bount! Click Here

It turns out that these three weirdos are all working for an old friend, to prepare Ichigo and Co. (plus Rukia and Renji) for a massive fight against the immortal soul-sucking Bounts. The Bounts have recently started consuming living human souls, and for some reason they are also allied with a rogue Soul Reaper named Maki Ichinose. What’s more, their cruel leader Jin Kariya wants to get his hands on Uryu, for a secret plan to do… something.

Filler episodes in anime are usually pretty bad — at the very least, they bend the characters into doing and saying odd things. For the most part, “Bleach Season 4 Part 1″ avoids that tendency — there’s still plenty of weird individual powers, sword fights and bloody action, as well as duels between floating fire creatures, snakes, living waterspouts, metal spiders and little flying eyeballs with teeth. The Bounts, they have some mean powers.

But the story is hampered by an over-reliance on flashbacks (is this “Bleach” or “Lost”?), and the story sometimes slows to a crawl. The dialogue is still plenty of fun (”You guys are checking each other out!”) and there’s plenty of comic relief (Ichigo trying to find a toy that satisfies Ririn). And the writers spin up some intriguing backstory for the treacherous Maki Ichinose and the Bounts — they’re not very scary or imposing compared to Hollows or Aizen, but they’ll do for a filler arc.

Ichigo and his amazing abs (you could grate cheese on them!) make a good return in this arc, but he seems to have lost some key brain cells — he’s a smart guy, yet he doesn’t know that blowing up a fire extinguisher and leaping down an elevator shaft might not be a good idea? Still, our orange-haired hero remains a likable protagonist who emanates hardcore determination to protect his buddies.

Uryu is explored in detail, struggling with his recent loss of powers, and the knowledge that he is now a burden and a danger to his superpowered friends. And the writers do a good job with the supporting characters — Chad, feisty Renji, strong-willed Rukia and quirky Orihime (”I remember there was tea!”). The Bounts aren’t really explored much yet, but the three mod-souls are fun characters: Ririn is a rather shrill little bird-girl, Kuroudo a flamboyant bunny purse (yes, Rukia DOES love him), and Noba is a little ninja turtle who is almost as quiet as Chad.

“Bleach Uncut Box Set: Season 4, Part 1″ provides a pretty solid introduction to “Bleach’s” first filler arc, and despite some flaws, it’s still pretty fun to watch. Just be prepared to fast-forward sometimes.

The fourth box set starts off with Ichigo and his friends Chad , Orihime, and Uryu returning from the Soul Society after rescuing Rukia and helping the other soul reapers after the betrayal by Aizen and his followers, thinking that they can take some leisure time the friends soon find themselves in another dilemma as seemingly a group of powerful unknown people are going after Ichigo and his friends. After a few episodes though you’ll find out the truth and the reason as Ichigo and the others find out that they have a new threat called the bounts, bounts are humans who can live forever as long as they feed on the souls of humans and now the bounts have gotten a new and incredibly powerful leader with a dark and devious plans for his bount followers. I’ve just started reading the manga series so I don’t know if this story saga is really part of the Bleach manga series or not but regardless the series are very addictive and entertaining to watch. This first box set gives you the episodes 64 through 79 so it looks like that they’re going to make this bount saga a two box set piece which for the price is very agreeable. Like always the video is clear and sharp and the voice cast for the Japanese and English crew were great as well though the extras aren’t much to really shout about, the set comes with four dvds put into four thinpack cases and put in a paper sleeve which I regret since I feel that the way they did the first three sets was much better. So if you’re a fan of the Bleach series here’s the fourth set ready to buy and if you’ve never seen the show or read the manga try checking it online I’m sure you’ll be a fan of the series after that…