A Yiddish World Remembered - The Emmy Award Winning PBS Documentary by Andrew Goldberg Review

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(More customer reviews)The DVD presents a beautiful yet balanced view of the Eastern European Jewish World before the Holocaust. This world was imbued with the spiritual and religious treasures of Jewish civilization, and bound together by the polyglot language, Yiddish. Visual remnants, including 'motion pictures' and interviews with the few remaining survivors from the area and period discussed, are included: these remove this forgotten world from the realm of rosy-hued myth, yet reveal the real loss our world suffered when this part of it was murdered.

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In A Yiddish World Remembered, the story of Jewish life in Eastern Europe is brought to life again by some of the remaining eyewitnesses. Narrated by Academy Award nominated actor Elliott Gould and accompanied by never-before-seen archival films, vintage photographs, and, of course, traditional Klezmer and cantorial music, the documentary takes a realistic and enlightening look at this unique and all-but-vanished way of life.For those in rural communities, there was often no running water or electricity. For many, anti-Semitism was a part of daily life. But for everyone, crowded conditions and poverty seemed to prevail. Despite these trials, through the eyes of the individuals interviewed, we learn that Jewish communities were close-knit and often even joyous places to live. This television special explores everything from the fascinating language of Yiddish to the Rabbis and Rebbes that often ran the communities to the powerful Jewish movements of Khasidism, Bundism and Zionism. Aired nationally on PBS.This DVD contains over 20 minutes of bonus footage and interviews not seen in the broadcast.

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Max Raabe and Palast Orchester: Dance & Film Music of 1920s (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Max Raabe may not be everyone's glass of schnapps...still, since founding the Palast Orchester in 1986 as a 24-year-old music student who discovered he loved the popular music of the 1920s and 1930s, especially the songs written during the Weimar Republic, he has gone from success to success in his native Germany. He is a tall, reasonably handsome man with a trained baritone who can manage sustained high notes better than most tenors. This can give a rather odd, noteworthy texture to his singing...just like that of so many male singers of the period. His orchestra has 12 members, all male except for the gorgeous blond violinist. They always dress in formal attire, with Raabe changing from tux and wing collar to, after the intermission, full formal evening wear of white tie and tails. If he and his orchestra look like the classic, high society dance orchestras of the era he obviously loves and respects, it's because he chooses to. Most of the orchestra have been with him from the start.
While Raabe concentrates on the popular songs of the Twenties and Thirties, usually using the original orchestrations, he also writes songs himself and does pop covers of contemporary songs using the old orchestration styles. You can sample his stuff on YouTube. Britney Spears' "Oops, I Did It Again" is especially, ah, noteworthy. In other words, Raabe has a sense of irony and humor...and I suspect he doesn't think much of a lot of contemporary pop songs. So is he an old man of 44, living in a past he never had? Hardly.
In this concert piece, filmed at a packed outdoor amphitheater before 20,000 Berliners, Raabe and his orchestra demonstrate why they are as good as they are. Raabe believes less is more, and he does nothing to dispel the illusion that while he himself is contemporary, what he does comes with a clever blending of respect and humor from the past. He is dry and good-natured, but will use a cocked eyebrow or a glance as often as he'll use words. He is amusing (and brief) in his song introductions, and he notes the composer and lyric writer of each song he sings, as well as the year it was written. The pattern most often then is Raabe fronts the orchestra and sings, then he immediately steps back and leans casually against the grand piano while the orchestra pays the song again, then he steps forward for a reprise...then he steps back, applause, a bow...and he moves on to the next song with a slight smile. You need to watch carefully because quite often the orchestra will be up to something unobtrusive and amusing, but always in character.
For those who already like Raabe and the popular music of that period, or might just now be getting to know him, this DVD is a bargain at the price (and it's not cheap). Even with the applause pared down considerably, the disc runs nearly two hours. There are 32 numbers and Raabe sings each one. The audience loved it. When a downpour occurred for 20 or so minutes, no one left their seats. The songs are mainly from Germany of the period. There are four or five American songs. You'll hear irony, romantic opportunity, rueful experience and joy, even love and tenderness...and seldom much sentimentality.
The DVD has a fine, sharp color transfer. The case includes a 12-page booklet. There are three short extras showing Raabe and the orchestra preparing for concerts in New York, Tokyo and Rome. Unless you understand German, the optional English subtitles are essential.

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MAX RAABE & PALAST ORCHESTER - DVD Movie

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VIDEO, AV310 WIDESCREEN IWEAR Review

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(More customer reviews)For starters, I'm 6'-6" and somewhere north of 275 lbs., so I'm a 2XL-tall person; if I had a normal-sized head it would look like a tangerine on a mannequin. The AV310s fit my head just fine, not perfect (none of the one-size-fits-some stuff does) but not uncomfortable by any means, and the angle-adjust on the viewing screen portion of the headset helps a bunch.
The photo dude must be smoking crack. News flash: AV310s aren't "true" hi-def but the aspect ratio is right and the enhanced definition make it a very good substitution. Plus the color, contrast, etc., are adjustable to taste. If you're expecting 1080p from 1.5" LCDs, give me a call when you get back from Pluto.
I spent six years working in commercial broadcast TV. Are the AV310s "perfect"? Nope, but for a first-generation product they're great and I've got zero complaints as far as picture quality (because I have elevated, but reasonable, expectations). Most people would or will agree.
Here's why I love them: I'm a road warrior who travels over 100,000 miles a year. I can easily and comfortably watch movies on the AV310s even when I'm sitting in the cattle car, the putz in front of me reclines his seat back all the way and my knees are up around my ears. Not true of my laptop or even smaller-screen, dedicated DVD players I've owned.
If I don't get an emergency exit row, forget about my laptop, and some of the airlines do the sardine routine so bad even the 7" DVD player isn't usable for me. There just isn't enough space. I could watch the AV310s in any phone booth in Beijing (most of which, in fairness, have more space than airline passenger seats today).
With the AV310s I don't get a sore back and neck or headaches from sitting for hours with my neck and eyes locked in one position watching an image on a fixed screen. I can move my head in any direction and the screen comes with me.
I can see around them and interact with stewardesses for beverage or food service or whatever. Or I can use the shades and block everything else out (best picture quality under these conditions).
Finally, I'm not a fan of porn, but there's some pretty raunchy visuals in a lot of the more popular rancid comedies I tend to enjoy (think "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" or "Pineapple Express"). Personally, I don't care to share such images with the people sitting around me, or their kids. Regardless of what I'm watching, having people peeking over my shoulder creeps me out in general anyway. Presto! Problem solved!
Because so few people have them, there's still a "Wow!" factor to them that's kind of a hoot too (although I generally decline requests from others to put them on, since they're adjusted to my feeble close-vision eyesight).
Bottom line: I'm an early adopter so the price doesn't bug me at all. I've had the AV310s for a couple months now (and four biz trips) so I've had the chance to use them in the field. I love them and I'm 150% glad I bought them. I'm perfectly satisfied with this first generation, and can't wait to see what's coming in the future!

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The AV310 Widescreen from Vuzix transforms your small video screen into a large 16:9 widescreen home theater with a virtual 52-inch display. Worn like regular glasses, the AV310 Widescreen is compatible with all audio/video devices with composite video-out and includes independent focal adjustments for each eye and removable stereo headphones.

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Acer Aspire AS7745G-6214 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)My first Acer (owned IBM, Dell, HP). Decided to go big with a desktop replacement laptop and use something else for mobile needs. Amazon delivered it fairly quickly given it was free delivery and it was re-packaged and camouflaged in an Amazon box which made me feel a bit better. Acer does a good job of packaging (box inside box for 3 boxes in total) and everything is well covered to avoid scratches. When it was finally unpacked, my first impression was "my ain't she shiny and pretty" which was followed by "my ain't she heavy and bulky." This isn't a slim, petite machine. It has a BIG footprint as the dimensions imply and after installing the battery (which seems mighty small in comparison), the entire thing is...well...a beast. But so far, this beast is super fast and super quiet (kinda of like a strong, stealthy vampire if I can use a contemporary cliche). Okay, let's go to the evaluation list...
Features' evaluation:
* Attractive package. Piano black outer top-shell and screen frame with faint lines on the outside piece. Yeah, it's plastic unlike some that are using metal these days but you have to try to keep the weight within reason. But the downside is of course fingerprints all over the case. I'm not crazy fussy about such things so I can ignore it.
* Nice keyboard. Though not back-lit, the keys are nicely arranged and have a very good feel to them. As a long-time Windows user, I appreciate that the function keys and arrow keys (wish they were bigger) are the dominant named/colored keys in their rightful places and the little special functions (like turning features on and off) are the subsidiary keys.
* Beautiful, big screen. The 17.3" screen is a very nice size and I really like the 1600x900 resolution which is better than many laptops of a similar size. There's a small issue with the vertical viewing angle which is very narrow. You will find yourself adjusting the screen a bit back and forth each time you start it up to get the right viewing angle depending on how you're sitting.
* Decent sound. I wouldn't rave about the external sound but it's not horrible. It required some tweaking in the settings to get a reasonable, non-muffled quality. Granted, we usually use headphones when playing music or games so the external sound is not the primary way we experience it. When cranked up, there's plenty of external volume (even a sub-woofer that fires out the bottom) to watch video or play basic games but you'll want to use headphones to fully experience richer, more complex sound.
* Ports aplenty. For my own purposes, there's enough ports. HDMI and VGA are available on the left along with the sound related jacks (kind of prefer these on the front edge but still better than on the right). Only one USB 2.0 port on the left and the other 3 are on the right. This is a tiny bit problematic in that if you use an external mouse (like I do) and are right-handed (like me) then you'll ideally want the IR transmitter in the left port. Then if you want digital sound and go with a USB headset, where do you go? Right side where you mouse? Hmm. Well I solved the problem by getting a mouse with a mini IR port plug and put it in a right-side USB jack freeing up the left one for USB headphones. And use the left side analog sound jack for basic listening. And of course, I wish the USB ports were 3.0 compliant but that's really future-proofing beyond what I think is truly necessary (you'll probably need a new laptop for other reasons by the time 3.0 is the dominant standard).
* Blu-Ray is the way. Great having a BD combo drive and everything so far has worked perfectly. Watched a B-R disc (Terminator TV show which looked and sounded terrific) and it came out in a beautiful 720p resolution (which given the size of this screen is just fine). I outputted the video to my 42" 1080p TV and that came out beautiful (in 1080p too!) without any tweaking (ATI is getting better at this). Burned some DVD backup discs and loaded some software. All without a hitch. I'm not crazy about the tray popping out as it's a bit flimsy hanging out there and would have preferred a slot loader like how the Macs do it but it works.
* Battery life? Given it's a 6 cell battery, you can't stray too far from an outlet. If I wanted to take this on the road, I'd look to upgrade to at least a 9 cell. You can barely squeak 60-90 minutes out of this tiny little battery (more if you dial way back on the brightness). Also, the power brick is a decent size but not what I would call mammoth. There is a strange aspect to the power port which makes for plugging and unplugging a bit tricky. It fits kind of like a key in that there's little slots that have to line up as well as connecting to the pin. Why Acer chose this type of connection is beyond me.
* Heat dissipation & Quiet! Probably the two biggest "positive" surprises are how well this machine handles heat and how amazingly quiet it is. There's a nice sized blower vent and fan on the left side actively gets rid of most of the heat and it is extremely (scary) quiet especially given that there's an i7 chip and a decent 1 GB ATI graphics card inside. Some machines can be hard to even talk over or the external sound gets muffled by fan noise which is simply not the case here. I've never once had this machine lock up while running and I play some MMO's like Lord of the Rings Online and Guild Wars.
* Graphics power horse. The 1 GB ATI 5650 is really a sweet-spot card. Big enough to run most games on high settings while dialing back just a bit for only the MOST graphically intensive, new stuff. Yeah, it isn't a 58xx card but it doesn't take a massive cooling fan to cool the thing either. And laptops with the 58xx cards are even bigger and heavier than this machine. I think it's a highly functional (DX 11 compatible) card for a high-end laptop.
* Miscellaneous. The web cam is pretty good and I actually had a reasonable conversation using the built-in microphone over a Steam module connection. The touch pad has a kind of Teflon coating like on a Calphalon pan and is pretty easy to use in comparison to other pads. A single larger rocker button on the touch pad works well. There's some bloatware installed (McAfee trial the most annoying) but it's not hard to uninstall what bothers you. Windows 7 64-bit is snappy on this machine given its 8 GB of RAM. 500 GB of hard disk space is more than enough for my needs and though maybe the 5400rpm HD is slower than some, it also consumes less energy than the speedier 7200rpm drives. But there's plenty of guts-access easily available under the machine if you want to put in a bigger, faster HD. I'd like to go solid-state in the future and I don't see a problem making that upgrade after pricing and disk size reach my buy-point. Haven't used it's Bluetooth ability yet but I don't have any of those devices. It has strong and fast wi-fi signal acquisition.
Finally, I'd rate her 4.5 stars if I had that option as there's a few small quirks preventing me from going all the way to 5 stars. The price was right here (below $1200) and the 12 month financing was a real bonus and what kicked me to the buy point. So overall, I'm extremely pleased with this purchase and expect years of good use from it.

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Acer Aspire 7745G: Immersive Entertainment
Take your media enjoyment to a new level with the Acer Aspire 7745G (AS7745G-6214) PC laptop, which features a 17.3-inch LED-backlit CineCrystal display with a fast response time so that fast action moves seamlessly across the screen and a 16:9 aspect ratio--perfect for viewing content created for the widescreen. And it combines best-in-class Intel Core i7 processing power and stunning ATI Radeon HD graphics with a Blu-ray Disc drive for viewing movies in crystal-clear HD resolution and a Dolby-optimized surround-sound system for an immersive on-the-go cinema experience. And the Blu-ray Disc drive includes an integrated SuperMulti drive for creating your own DVDs and CDs.

You'll be able to burn through the hottest new digital media, content creation and advanced 3D gaming with the breakthrough performance of the Intel Core i7 processor thanks to the combination of Intel Turbo Boost technology and Intel Hyper-Threading technology, which maximizes performance to match your workload.

Enjoy the next generation of video playback with the HDMI output, which allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video and audio to your digital TV or capable external monitor. The 1.3-megapixel HD webcam presents vivid images even in low-light situations so you can go face-to-face in online chats and easily take still pictures and videos to share. A Multi-Gesture Touchpad enables you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of web sites. And the 8 GB of DDR3 memory helps power through tasks.

This Aspire laptop comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).

Key Features
17.3-inch CineCrystal LED-backlit widescreen display with 1600 x 900-pixel resolution (native 720p for high-definition viewing). Its widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio is designed to present websites without lots of left-right scrolling, as well as with a smoother line of sight. Specs include a 220-nit high brightness rating, 8ms response time, and 60 percent color gamut.
1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM processor (with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.80 GHz) delivers maximum processing power in response to peak demands. Intel's Turbo Boost technology maximizes speed for demanding applications, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload--providing more performance when you need it the most. It also comes equipped with Intel HD Graphics--an advanced video engine that delivers smooth, high-quality HD video playback, and advanced 3D capabilities, providing an ideal graphics solution for everyday computing.
500 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
8 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (1066 MHz; expandable to 16 GB)
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics deliver advanced technology to deliver cinema-quality audio and video with 1 GB of DDR3 discrete graphics memory. Using ATI Stream technology, it helps accelerate even the most demanding applications, enabling you to do more than ever with your notebook. It's compatible with the latest DirectX 11 games
Watch Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal clear resolution with the read-only Blu-ray drive; this notebook also includes an integrated 4x DVD±R/RW SuperMulti drive capable of reading/writing of CD-R/RW, DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD±R DL, and DVD-RAM.
Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites such as Google Earth. It also enables you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. (Learn more)
1.3-megapixel Crystal Eye webcam with a built-in digital microphone that helps keep background noise levels low and minimizes echoes. Acer Video Conference Manager software supports 1280 x 1024 resolution online video calls.
2 integrated stereo speakers and 1 subwoofer supporting low-frequency effects
Dolby Home Theater suite of technologies delivers virtual surround sound from stereo speakers or any pair of headphones.
Headphones/speaker/line-out with SPDIF support for true 5.1-channel surround-sound output
Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capability provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers). This laptop uses Acer InviLink Nplify technology that enables multi-stream input or output for faster and more reliable bandwidth, and it also offers Acer SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency.
Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity enables you to communicate and synchronize wirelessly with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as printers and cell phones.
Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000)
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD)
Four USB 2.0 ports
HDMI high-definition audio/video output allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video to your digital TV or LCD. It also includes a standard VGA video output.
Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.
Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process.(Learn more)
Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works SE 9.0 for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.
Up to 2.5 hours of battery life (6-cell, 4400 mAh battery)
Dimensions: 16.1 x 11.3 x 1.6 inches (WxDxH)
Weight: 7.2 pounds
Warranty: One-year parts and labor limited warranty with concurrent International Traveler's Warranty

What's in the Box This package contains the Acer Aspire AS7745G-6214 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions
It also comes with the following software: McAfee Internet Security Suite (trial version); NTI Media Maker; Google Toolbar; Acer Recovery Management; Acer GridVista; Microsoft Works; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Trial (60 days); Norton Online Backup

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The Acer Multi-Gesture Touchpad
A Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites. The Multi-Gesture Touchpad enables you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through Web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more.

The TouchPad can also be disabled with a one-touch button, eliminating accidental cursor movement with palms and wrists when using an external mouse.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.

And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings

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Epson Duet 80-Inch Dual Aspect Ratio Projection Screen, Portable 4:3 and 16:9 Aspect Ratio Screen (ELPSC80) Review

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(More customer reviews)As a professsional speaker I've seen hundreds of screens over the past 25 years and this one really stands out. It is everything you could hope for and more. I love the design. It sets up fast, is easy to open and is just the right size for a living room or a medium size (up to 35 people) business meeting. I can't believe the price! I thought it was a good value at the original $250 price and now Amazon has it for under $85. If you need a protable screen, this is a great choice. Since it opens horizontally it is much shorter than other screens of this size. I am considering upgrading my projector now to show movies on tis screen instead of my old 27" TV.

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One screen two sizes The first ultra portable projection screen to offer both standard (4:3) and widescreen (16:9) formats, the Duet ultra portable projection screen from Epson provides the perfect solution for both business presentations and home theater applications.Use the included floor stand to set up your screen. Or, mount it to the wall with the included bracket. Then, pull the screen out to the size that works best for you, 65 inches for standard viewing or 80 inches for widescreen viewing. With the innovative, patent-pending, design, setup couldn¿t be easier. In no time at all, you¿ll be ready to sit back and enjoy brilliant images on a bright white screen. When it¿s time to shut down, Duet stores quickly and easily.

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