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CategoryTitleRating
Glutamine - Conclusion
**
My initial conclusion on glutamine is that if I can't tell if it worked, then it's not amazing. Yesterday I had a moderate level of energy until about 7 o'clock. Then I started yawning really hard. I took a glutamine capsule at that point, but I also had dinner soon after, and then seemed to regain virility. Maybe I was just hungry.
Quality Assurance
*****
I have had a Shuttle mini PC for about 3 years now. It's probably the best out of all computers I've assembled and is incredibly well designed inside. I'd say I only like Apple or Sony's hardware better - but those are turnkey systems that generally aren't customizable. Its small factor, coupled with the optional travel bag, has made it great for VJ'ing. I also own their XP17 flat panel monitor which is equally as portable with its built-in handle and carry-case. The only LCD monitors I've seen that are better are the Apple displays (which coincidentally have traditionally been manufactured by Sony).
Drunken review of Reno 911: Miami
*****
Anyone who knowsme knows I am a lightweight, so two martinis, a magarita and a corona have done me in. So let me tell u about Reno 911: The Movie. We almost didn't go because f*ckin' Rotten Tomatoes said it was few and far in between laughs. But f*ck that shit! Oh man I lost my shit so many times I had a mouthful of puke come up into my mouth (something I might do again right now).
How Logitech Saved My Cat's Life
*****
How Logitech Saved My Cat's Life I was tired of covering up my beautiful coffee table with a plethora of remote controls. I just couldn't find a universal remote that would control everything. Every time I purchased a new one, it would only control certain aspects of each device. I still needed to keep the remotes out for those functions. It got me nowhere. If I wanted to watch a DVD, I had to use every single remote. At the time the DVD was hooked up through the VCR and everything had to be set a certain way. (OK I know, DVD through the VCR? Keep in mind that this was a long time ago.) Then along came the Philips PMRDVR8 learning remote! What a concept! I could program in a series of codes and if any functionality wasn't available, I could "teach" the remote these functions. Wow! I was very happy. One by one I taught the remote all of the functions I needed. It worked very well, however it would not learn EVERY function. But for the most part, it did what I needed it to do. I was able to get rid of all but one other remote. This kept me satisfied for a while. However when I had guests over, nobody could figure the damn thing out. It did support Macros, but you had to know the exact angle at which the infrared would successfully trigger all of the components. Still it was decent. That was until...
Sweet Baby Jesus, I HATE FERGIE (video review).
It’s like everyone I know is in a band. Or, they know someone in a band. And all of these bands are bonded by the same heartbreaking disillusionment – that they actually have a chance to make it big. They all think they are on the verge of stardom. They just need a producer to hear their fresh new sound, and they’ll be promptly signed. But in these sad days of mega media conglomerates, you have a better chance of winning Guitar Hero 2 than breaking into the biz. As a result, most of these talented artists will give up, and trade in their guitars for cubicles. Some will “fight back” and start their own record label. But instead of starting an underground revolution, they’ll be left with massive debt, a garage full of CDs, and bitter resentment. What a waste.
Sony CDX-GT510 - Car CD Receiver
****
OK so Pauly had recommended this other little number a few years back. I loved the thing, but it was a lemon. The unit I had couldn't handle simple CD playback. It would take pauses and skip on CDs that were fresh out of the shrinkwrap while the engine was off. That was an actual test I did. The last one, actually. Also, the aux input was non-functional. The time I wasted trying to get my (then) brand-new iPod hooked up was the last straw. So for Christmas this year, my fiance and I decided to treat ourselves to this sexy little number. We just got it installed today. I may update this review at some point. So far I'm in love with it! You can make it illuminate in red or green (just in time for X-mas). It features CD-R & CD-RW playback, which is great for me- I can run a mix out of Pro Tools onto a CD-RW and give it a real-life check in the car. It can play multi-session data disks as well. It can handle CD-DA, MP3, AAC, WMA and Sony's ATRAC format. It also comes with a cute remote with glow-in-the-dark buttons.
Staples MAILMATE™ Junk Mail Shredder
***

The MAILMATE Junk Mail Shredder goes for $69.99 at STAPLES, but this Friday they had a one-day $20 rebate deal. I suspect that, with the whole Office tie-in, they're not done milking it, and imagine another savings opportunity would be offered soon.

They had a big storefront display and there were still many left towards the end of the day. Another reason I suspect they won't be charging $70 much longer.
LCD Soundsystem
****
Being passionate about music in the era of iTunes and American Idol tends to be a lot harder, in my opinion. Granted, the fractions of my skull are probably pretty well-fused compared to a decade ago, but sequestering myself in an upstate New York suburb and addicting myself to the masochism of right-wing talk radio doesn't help either. Being removed from urban culture also can mean being the last to know about something good. For this, I apologize that this review is probably quite belated, and a bit deluded, in the eyes of some of my peers. But when often lamenting about the lull I feel music has been in, I often would try to imagine how the next turn of the circle would be initiated. In particular, I'd conjecture as to what a Velvet Underground/Talking Heads of a post-Guiliani/post-9/11 New York City would look like. Could gritty self-induced music really arise in the shadow of a Disney-fied Times Square and in the national wake of Clay Aiken?