I am a big fan of the Nerf product line. Squishy foam darts may be one of the best toys developed in my lifetime! The Maverick six gun is squishy foam darts time six.
My wife sometimes provides me with the opportunity to develop the virtue of patients and entertain myself. I have taken to drawing targets on the bathroom mirror and then Nerfing them to death.
The maverick has a short barrel and does not have the best range, but this is made up for by the rapid fire ability. I can fire six rounds in about two seconds. As for accuracy the maverick is comparable to the other Nerf pistols I have used, You need to aim above your target and if the dart is bent it will likely drift but I can get all six darts in a 6 inch target from 15 feet.
The bottom line: this is awesome. you should get one!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Hall's Vitamin C defence cough drops
Each of these cough drops has a full dose of vitamin C. I don't know how important Vitamin C really is to beat a cold but, even if it is all, placebo it seems to help. I also really like the flavors. The citrus variety pack includes: lemon, which tastes like a lemon drop candy, orange, and pink grapefruit, which is my favorite. any time I feel a cold coming on, or when everyone around my has a cold I buy a large bag. This last time I noticed that if you have too many without some really food all the citric acid can upset the stomach (too many is 10 in a hour).
My opinion: These are the best cough drops out there.
My opinion: These are the best cough drops out there.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Dune
I just listened to Dune as an Audiobook. It was my third time through Frank Herbert's sci-fi masterpiece, and I still love it. I honestly think it is one of the best books of the 20th century.
The thing I love about Dune is the politics. The complicated layers of personal vendetta, family honor, tribal structure and religion. It is a very real universe that is set up in a single book. I like it better than George Lucas's Star Wars universe but it has the same kinds of detail, only it is layed out concisely in a single work.
The Audio Renaissances recording is a very good one, it uses a cast rather than single narrator but it does it in a way that blends very well.
The thing I love about Dune is the politics. The complicated layers of personal vendetta, family honor, tribal structure and religion. It is a very real universe that is set up in a single book. I like it better than George Lucas's Star Wars universe but it has the same kinds of detail, only it is layed out concisely in a single work.
The Audio Renaissances recording is a very good one, it uses a cast rather than single narrator but it does it in a way that blends very well.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
President Hinkley
This evening I got a text message, then a phone call, then six more texts, all telling me that President Hinkley had died.
I was very moved by this, all my life president Hinkley has been the most prominent leader of the church. I will miss his wisdom and leadership. I pray for his family and loved ones and am personally grateful for all that he has done in the service of the Lord.
I look forward to hearing from the new prophet (President Monson) in April and hope that Elder Eyring will still be in the first presidency.
I was very moved by this, all my life president Hinkley has been the most prominent leader of the church. I will miss his wisdom and leadership. I pray for his family and loved ones and am personally grateful for all that he has done in the service of the Lord.
I look forward to hearing from the new prophet (President Monson) in April and hope that Elder Eyring will still be in the first presidency.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Survivorman & Man Vs Wild
Discovery channel has two survival shows, at first this seems rather odd but they are very distinct (though even after noting that it still seems odd).
I saw Man vs Wild first and my first impression was that the show was decent, it was the high alps episode and the host made and used prussiks with parachord and dug a decent snow cave. I understood his decisions and agreed with him.
The first time I saw survivor man, it was the Costa Rican Juggle episode and I was disturbed that after building a decent shelter on the beach the host set off into the jungle and got lost. It was not as good of a first impression.
I was not really watching either but those were my first impressions. My friend Avi was talking to me one day about them though and pointed out that the host (Les Stroud) of Survivorman carries all the camera gear and shoots the show as well as hosting it. He also mentioned some that Man vs Wild had been criticized and accusations had been made that the host (Bear Grylls) did not stay in his survival shelters but built them and then slept in tents or even motels with the camera crew. I have watched more of both recently with a more discriminating eye and have changed my opinion.
Man vs Wild: Bear Grylls is a britt with an army background (though it was as a reserve and the lt cmdr rank mentioned sometime turns out to to be honorary) he is fairly charismatic and likable as a host. His advise is often addressing a worst case scenario and not the situation he is actually in. He eats and drinks things seemingly without discretion (including bugs, live fish, his own urine, etc) and he vamps for the camera by doing things like wearing his boxers as a hat after talking about the energy that can be lost when you have your head exposed. I think he is somewhat reckless, particularly in the Patagonia episode when he chose to tumble down a steep hill that he could have made a careful decent of and then building a "raft" to cross a lake he could have walked around in less time and ending up wet in a place where being wet could prove fatal. The show has petty good TV value but don't trust it if you are stranded in the wilderness. I do not watch the show often.
Suriviorman: Les Stroud is canadian and a wilderness enthusiast, he has held a guild license for many year. He is not as good looking as Grylls but is much more down to earth. His shows are self filmed, if you think about it this means he walks ever step twice ( once to set the camera and once to get recorder) and is still showing off for the camera much of the time. His show is always based on the goal of spending seven days in the situation and meeting his extraction crew at a given spot. I like that he always starts off looking at his resources, what is in his pockets and how did he get stranded. He generally cannibalizes a vehicle to start with, often using gasoline and the battery to start the fire he then tends and carries. His resources are realistic and I approve.
Les spends a lot of time talking about psychology and physiology, the importance of attitude and sleep, how long you can go without food, which I like and agree with. He also explains his decision making process generally influenced by weather and resources, I have disagreed with him (most notably Costa Rica mentioned above) but he always has his safety in mind above TV value, and will change things if he feels they are no longer prudent (in a recent episode he was trying to keep his arm in a splint to simulate an injury but took it out because it was becoming an impediment to his safety) He also shows in his Labrador episode, his safety crew coming into where he is and calling off his shoot because they felt a change in weather created to great a risk. Lastly I like that the majority of his shows are in north america. I find this show to be the much more practical of the two and would rather be stranded in the wilderness with Les , than Bear any day.
I saw Man vs Wild first and my first impression was that the show was decent, it was the high alps episode and the host made and used prussiks with parachord and dug a decent snow cave. I understood his decisions and agreed with him.
The first time I saw survivor man, it was the Costa Rican Juggle episode and I was disturbed that after building a decent shelter on the beach the host set off into the jungle and got lost. It was not as good of a first impression.
I was not really watching either but those were my first impressions. My friend Avi was talking to me one day about them though and pointed out that the host (Les Stroud) of Survivorman carries all the camera gear and shoots the show as well as hosting it. He also mentioned some that Man vs Wild had been criticized and accusations had been made that the host (Bear Grylls) did not stay in his survival shelters but built them and then slept in tents or even motels with the camera crew. I have watched more of both recently with a more discriminating eye and have changed my opinion.
Man vs Wild: Bear Grylls is a britt with an army background (though it was as a reserve and the lt cmdr rank mentioned sometime turns out to to be honorary) he is fairly charismatic and likable as a host. His advise is often addressing a worst case scenario and not the situation he is actually in. He eats and drinks things seemingly without discretion (including bugs, live fish, his own urine, etc) and he vamps for the camera by doing things like wearing his boxers as a hat after talking about the energy that can be lost when you have your head exposed. I think he is somewhat reckless, particularly in the Patagonia episode when he chose to tumble down a steep hill that he could have made a careful decent of and then building a "raft" to cross a lake he could have walked around in less time and ending up wet in a place where being wet could prove fatal. The show has petty good TV value but don't trust it if you are stranded in the wilderness. I do not watch the show often.
Suriviorman: Les Stroud is canadian and a wilderness enthusiast, he has held a guild license for many year. He is not as good looking as Grylls but is much more down to earth. His shows are self filmed, if you think about it this means he walks ever step twice ( once to set the camera and once to get recorder) and is still showing off for the camera much of the time. His show is always based on the goal of spending seven days in the situation and meeting his extraction crew at a given spot. I like that he always starts off looking at his resources, what is in his pockets and how did he get stranded. He generally cannibalizes a vehicle to start with, often using gasoline and the battery to start the fire he then tends and carries. His resources are realistic and I approve.
Les spends a lot of time talking about psychology and physiology, the importance of attitude and sleep, how long you can go without food, which I like and agree with. He also explains his decision making process generally influenced by weather and resources, I have disagreed with him (most notably Costa Rica mentioned above) but he always has his safety in mind above TV value, and will change things if he feels they are no longer prudent (in a recent episode he was trying to keep his arm in a splint to simulate an injury but took it out because it was becoming an impediment to his safety) He also shows in his Labrador episode, his safety crew coming into where he is and calling off his shoot because they felt a change in weather created to great a risk. Lastly I like that the majority of his shows are in north america. I find this show to be the much more practical of the two and would rather be stranded in the wilderness with Les , than Bear any day.
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