Epinions Recent Reviews for mikeymars

Fifty years after it was introduced, still the standard

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:38:38 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - Since its introduction in the late 50s, the Ludwig super-sensitive snare (which in actuality is best referred to as a "P-70 equipped snare," since the snare strainer and not shell design is what distinguishes these instruments) has remained...

The ONLY reliable solution to an unpleasant task

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:08:11 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - My, of all the wonderfull things one can offer opinions on here, let's get into...mousetraps.Well, I wouldn't have expertise on this if I didn't feel strongly about the subject based on personal experience. I used to think that "mouse...

A (gasp) affordable taste of audio gold standard

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:01:44 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - Well, if this legendary headset microphone is good enough for the likes of Garth Brooks and Janet Jackson, what else does one need to know?Presumed endorsements aside, I fondly refer to my CM-311A -- which I use while drumming to do lead and...

Funky little member of a proud family

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 03:05:17 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - LP (short for "Latin Percussion") is arguably the greatest drum accessory manufacturer, having a huge product line that covers the landscape of just about sound a drummer would ever want to make outside a cymbal crash. One of their...

Antenna rotator offers value, with some tradeoffs

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:03:04 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - Given the model number (9521A) that epinions lists for this item, the description and photo they show is somewhat misleading. This Channelmaster model number refers to a complete rooftop antenna rotator system, not just the remote control...

Mr. Clean AutoDry Car Wash System: Speeds up a chore, but isn't as perfect as some imply

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:35:58 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - I've been using this product for about three years, which would presumably imply a clear endorsement. Well, yes and no - as the title of this review implies, Mr. Clean Auto Dry is in essence a "productivity enhancer" - making the chore of car washing...

A nice, inexpensive underwater photography system that beats "digital in a baggie"

Tue, 6 Feb 2007 18:08:07 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - I obtained an Aquashot 3e back in the late 1990s, right at the beginning of the transition from film to digital photography. This system - designed to use a specific small APS film camera (the Fuji Endeavour 10) - was the final evolution of a system...

Somewhat overproduced, but when it works...WOW

Thu, 16 Dec 2004 11:52:38 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - First, some quick clarification: Trans Siberian Orchestra (or better known as "TSO" to fans) packages their material into many overlapping forms, so one can easily be confused by what particular album or video is being referred to in a given review...

H. G. Wells meets refugees from "Beach Party"

Thu, 15 Jan 2004 14:55:11 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - Mention the term "1960s movie with bikinied girls and music," and most people immediately think of Frankie and Annette. Understandable, but what most people don't realize is that the popularity of the "Beach Party" genre (which started in 1963 with the...

The last of the decent Sony pure analog camcorders

Thu, 20 Nov 2003 16:34:45 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - This camcorder was introduced in 1999, which was in essence the "high water" mark year of the Sony analog camcorder line. Digital -- which had been introduced by Sony two years earlier -- took over the "top of the line" position the following year, which...

The most hellishly bad yet stylishly beautiful thing ever committed to celluloid

Wed, 19 Nov 2003 14:43:07 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - Ah, Xanadu...you had to be there to really appreciate it. The way this film so perfectly reflects the late 70's and early 80's, that is. Few other movies sum up the words "period piece" so well --the knee-high socks, roller skates, blow-dried...

Wow - a component TUNER - remember them?

Wed, 8 Oct 2003 16:10:58 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - First, a detail, albeit a small but still important one. Epinions has labeled this a "receiver," which it is incorrect. It is a stereo component separate, in this case, a AM/FM tuner which requires connection to a pre-amplifier/amplifier, or an integrate...

Flat out THE best noise-reduction headphones made

Fri, 4 Apr 2003 18:36:05 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - I researched long and hard before purchasing these, and haven't regretted the comparatively high cost ($269) for a second. Why? Well, to put it simply, these are THE best noise reduction headphones on the market, period. Their simple, battery free pas...

Arguably third best film in series

Wed, 25 Sep 2002 16:45:16 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - While many fans of AIP nonsense don't particularly like this 3rd installment of the Beach Party series (for whatever reason), I feel Bikini Beach has a lot more going for it than many of them realize.

First, the cast and characters: Frankie...

Funicello's 1960s swan song

Mon, 23 Sep 2002 16:28:33 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - Thunder Alley was the last film Annette Funicello made for the infamous American International Pictures (AIP), and to some extent the reasons become clear during a viewing. 1967 was a transitional period at AIP. The Beach Party movies (1963-1966)...

Perfect? No, but I keep coming back

Thu, 19 Sep 2002 17:09:38 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - I fly in the range of 70,000-80,000 miles a year, mostly business travel with one or two family vacations annually thrown in. So put this review in the context of someone who sees abundant, regular opportunities to be pleased -- or displeased -- with...

Trunk Bay suffers from over-popularity

Thu, 19 Sep 2002 16:04:27 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - I first visited St. John's Trunk Bay back in 1977.

At that time, St. John was still a somewhat esoteric destination, known only to experienced Caribbean travelers and a handful of people who'd visited on the limited -- repeat, limited --...

Sheraton Universal: An unexpected and pleasant surprise in Tinseltown

Wed, 18 Sep 2002 11:01:21 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - I've stayed here numerous times on business trips. And each time, I've left satisfied but wishing I'd brought my family with me. That's because the primary attraction of staying here isn't the property itself, but rather the fact you are right in...

Rolling wardrobe for active families

Mon, 16 Sep 2002 16:11:34 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - Available at around $130 or so at many major department stores (we got ours at Macys for about that), this bag is the last great example of a dying luggage category - the large (but not unreasonably so) checkable Pullman style. My family of four...

A small taste of what "audiophile" means

Mon, 16 Sep 2002 14:31:31 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - Subwoofers...ah..... ...way back in 1982 (when subwoofers were an esoteric, tweaky audiophile item; the term was unknown in the mass market) I was first introduced to Velodyne. A grad school classmate had a ULD-12 (a classic, early Velodyne) in...

Crutchfield Online Store: The web site your local auto sound/security shop loves to hate

Fri, 13 Sep 2002 13:21:17 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - I've been Crutchfield customer since 1991, back when I first decided I didn't care to have some 19 year old yo-yo trying to install hundreds of dollars of stereo equipment in my car. And I've been a loyal returnee scores of times ever since.

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Heaven in..uh...nowhere

Wed, 11 Sep 2002 17:37:40 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - I've stayed here twice while on business trips, and am always looking for reasons to return. Why? Well, simply stated, there's really no other hotel quite like this anywhere. Repeat, anywhere. How so? The Mission Inn defines...

Better than doing nothing on that scratch

Tue, 10 Sep 2002 15:06:48 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - Let's face it, every car gets scratches here and there over time, and at some point they'll drive any owner nuts. I have a 1998 Pontiac Sunfire convertible that I like to keep in nice shape, so based on reviews on several car care pages I picked up...

Convertible model is well made, stylish looker

Mon, 9 Sep 2002 18:42:53 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - I Purchased a used 1998 Pontiac Sunfire SE convertible via eBay earlier this year. During the 1998 model year, the convertible version of the Sunfire was only produced in the SE version (in subsequent 1999 and 2000 years, a GT version was also...

They'll get your car to you...eventually...

Tue, 27 Aug 2002 14:07:38 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author mikeymars - Like many others here, I did a decent amount of homework prior to retaining a car shipper. Also like others, I picked Dependable because they appeared to have the "best" overall feedback. Most was positive, a few complaints, the latter mostly about...