Baby Signing Time Volume 1 DVD

More 'Baby Signing Time' Please!
I have been signing a handful of words with my 8 month old daughter for about two months now. She's been very attentive when I've been signing, but until we started watching 'Baby Signing Time' she hadn't really attempted any sings on her own...However, we've had the DVD for less than a week and she's already started signing 'milk.' I'm not claiming that this DVD is a miracle...I think my efforts to be consistent with the signing, in combination with her evolving developmental maturity have a lot to do with the fact that she is starting to communicate non-verbally. However, I really think this engaging video has helped. I find this DVD to be very age appropriate and entertaining, as well as educational. The music is upbeat and the songs are catchy. The repetition may be boring for some adults, but for babies repetition is an effective teaching tool...my daughter has plenty of time to hear each word and she gets to see each sign multiple times. I think she really enjoys seeing...

Not as good as the original Signing Time
I bought this because my 11-month-old daughter loves Signing Time Volume 1 of the original series and I thought the baby version might be even better for her. I was wrong - she's just not into this one. The original Signing Time (vol. 1) is much simpler and just shows kids in natural environments doing the signs. This baby version has more cartoon content and is much more "high-energy" which seems to turn my daughter off (and is less enjoyable for me as well). This might be great for some babies, but mine prefers the simple, low-tech version.

Original Signing Time is MUCH Better
We too were so impressed with the original Signing Time that we decided to try this one for our nearly one-year-old baby. While we're not fans of TV for children under two, the first Signing Time was so straight-forward and simple that we were comfortable watching it with our child. It took only a few times of watching it before she was using the signs all the time!

So we were excited when the Baby version came out and ordered the first two volumes. But these are way too "produced" in comparison to the original one, and the cartoon graphics and music are annoying and distracting. We let the baby watch it and she sat like a zombie, which worried us, since she'd been so engaged by the original one. But Baby Signing Time was far less effective in terms of teaching her than the low-budget/realistic original one.

If you're looking to start your child on the path to learning ASL, I strongly recommend you stick with the original Signing Time series. The Baby version is...

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Harry Potter Hogwarts Collection (Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet) (Amazon Exclusive)

Very good product, but a couple of comments
I'm actually very pleased with this product! It's very cheap, and very good quality. There are, however, a couple of things that I feel I should point out.

First, the case that it comes in is a standard mass production case that most multi-disc sets use. Don't expect a lavish collectable case, especially for the price. The case is still very durable, and allows all of the movies to be stored in a small amount of space.

Second, the films in this set ARE NOT THE SPECIAL EDITIONS. They are standard edition, as if the first disc from each movie was put in here. While there are some special features, there are not a lot.

Next, the discs themselves appear to be great quality. All of mine worked extremely well, and there were no defects whatsoever, save one thing. The disc that I received for Deathly Hallows Part 1 is missing a cover. The disc is all black, and the title and copyright information are on there, but there is not picture. This, however does not...

A cheap package with all eight movies... the way I like it.
I like how a lot of fans are slamming Warner Brothers for offering up a box set containing all eight films in one compact package. They accuse how WB constantly does this for the Harry Potter franchise, and to be fair, WB has been doing incomplete Potter boxed releases for years, starting with "Prisoner of Azkaban" onwards. But when the WB actually makes a nice package with all eight films included, they still complain because there's hardly any bonus material. WB did this for their first four Batman movies before the glorious Batman Anthology came to be, so those fans have been waiting a long time that as well.

The set will just have a repressing of the initial releases, and the first three movies include their respective trailers, while "Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2" have deleted/extended scenes, so the "no extras" claim doesn't hold as much water. They have some, as opposed to none. Not to mention the quality of the past three Ultimate Editions' bonus features have...

Just use amazon.co.uk
amazon.co.uk has the three different HP movies 1-8 sets
just go to the site and type in "harry potter 1-8"

ALLL BLU RAY CUSTOMERS can order, as these are region free and with HD media, there is no such thing as PAL encoding.
"Harry Potter - The Complete 8-Film Collection [Blu-ray] [2011][Region Free]"
and "Harry Potter: The Complete 1-8 Film Collection - Limited Numbered Edition (Blu-ray + DVD) [2011][Region Free]"

I live in philly, i ordered the regular set, its going to come to around 40 bucks i believe
the special edition version will be way less than 100 and far surpasses this version sold here

the dvd set is SUPER cheap but it is not region free and it IS in PAL. so most americans wont be able to see it

this is true for most of amazon.co.uk 's inventory. as far as blu ray, as long as it says region free, it will work in america, and it only takes a week to get here, and it is ALWAYS cheaper. and they have WAY more...

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Come To The Stable

Beautiful depiction of a Nun's faith and inner soul
Loretta Young, one of Hollywood's most respected actresses had one of her greatest roles as the assured and determined Sister Margaret in Twentieth Century Fox's 1949 "Come to the Stable" a beautiful story of two women's determination and sheer belief in the rightness of what they are seeking in their work for others. Loretta Young, a staunch catholic in real life is one of those rare actresses in a league with the likes of Ingrid Bergman, Deborah Kerr and Audrey Hepburn , that seem totally convincing as nuns whether it be in their displays of humility in portraying their characters or just by the total immersion that they undergo when taking on the nun role.

"Come to the Stable" tells a very simple but extremely moving story based on a short story by Clare Booth Luce, of the journey that two nuns, one American and one french, make to fulfill a solemn vow made during World War 2. Resulting from the fact that through prayer to St. Jude, the Patron Saint of lost...

Back To The "Good Old Days"
In the late 1940's and into the 50's, there was a decency and innocence which existed that has all but disappeared today. This movie is a simple, wonderful story about innocence and blind faith, played beautifully by Loretta Young and Celeste Holm in the form of 2 French nuns. Using their charisma, they manage to get a children's hospital built in an affluent area, in which the people eventually are won over by these charming nuns. It is a "feel good" movie of the first magnitude, and, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful films ever made.

Can Amazon help us get a DVD copy of Come to the Stable?
This is another great movie by both Loretta Young and Celeste Holm. I have noticed a number of other Loretta Young movies, some I've not even heard of, available on DVD. THIS one SHOULD be out on DVD and it's not. Based on the reviews here, there is obvious love for this movie, and there should be. It's funny, great and heartwarming. I'll bet if Amazon started collecting email addresses from those of us interested in getting a DVD copy and let the owners of the movie know how much interest there is, they would eventually do it ! Please, all those who want a DVD copy to preserve this movie in your home libraries, let Amazon know!!!

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Telescope: Hunting the Edge of Space: The Mystery of the Milky Way [HD]

Tragedy at 35,000 feet
**This review is on Nova Volume 6, Ep. 10 "Crash of Flight 447"**

On June 1, 2009, Air France Flight 447 fell out of the night sky over the Atlantic Ocean killing all 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board. In this program "Nova: Crash of Flight 447" broadcast on PBS on February 16, 2011, investigators piece together available weather and radar data as well as automatic electronic messages from the airplane transmitted through the airwave, in an effort to reconstruct the tragic event and the possible cause of the crash. It is an aviation detective story. I found the program riveting.

**Spoiler Alert** The rest of this review may contain spoilers.
SYNOPSIS - The crew of Flight 447, with the limited range of the on-board weather radar, apparently flew the airplane into a severe thunderstorm over the Altantic Ocean at 35,000 feet, unable to detect it visually in the pitch darkness of the night. Then the three Thales pitot tubes of the air-speed...

NOVA is programming we can all be proud of.
They are not afraid to do a program that is controversial either. There are few programs I can compare NOVA because it is a standard of excellence that I associate with NOVA. I have to laugh when I hear about funding cuts to public broadcasting. NOVA is proof of how programming like this is some of the best way to spend education dollars. If you do not like or agree with an episode in this format skip to a different one that is why on demand works

Indepth and fascinating
There is nothing like NOVA. I grew up with NOVA. Remember Leonard Nimoy? Well, NOVA has evelved since those days. There are those documentaries on The Science Channel but they just don't cover stories quick like NOVA. NOVA has the special touch and dives deeper than any other documentary media source.

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Pilot

A Guardian With Edge
4.5 Stars... Be warned, the character Simon Baker plays in this series is edgier than his character in The Mentalist and slightly more abrasive. However, that being said the first season of this legal drama was the strongest. At the time, Baker was billed as a new face with edge from Austrailia and the series got good critical reviews its first year. Baker's seens with Dabney Coleman were amazing to watch as he struggled between goodwill legal work and the call of "the rich firm" run by his father. Alan Rosenberg was good though the character he played was less rich than his characters in other series (Cybil, L.A. Law, Civil Wars). If you like Simon Baker in The Mentalist, and you don't expect him to always play the same exact character, you'll probably enjoy this first season and if like legal shows this series will also be enjoyable. So what happened in the remaining seasons? They retooled the premise to broaden their viewing audience and it watered down the show but this first...

Possibly One of the Best Legal Dramas Ever Aired
When I graduated from law school, I came very close to practicing the type of family law the main character, Nick Fallon, has been sentenced to, so I may be a bit biased. With that having been said, I thought this was a terrific series.

The most important ingredient of this series' success is the understated (and unfortunately, criminally underrated) performance of Simon Baker. Because of the manner in which he plays Nick Fallon, you can see how the cumulative strain of:

(1) Fallon being sentenced to thousands of hours of community service in most trying, heartbreaking area of family law --destitute, abandoned and defenseless children;
(2) while struggling to stay productive at his tough-as-nails father's white-shoe mergers and acqusitions law firm and
(3)remaining sober

is (incrementally) tearing his character apart.

I strongly recommend this series to anyone who is tired of the melodramatic and overwrought nature of other legal...

A great, underrated show
I discovered this gem on a local channel while living abroad (granted, the episodes were not current). It was fascinating watching the challenges of Baker's character as he worked for his father's uptight law firm, while also performing mandated community service as a court-appointed guardian for kids with extraordinary difficulties in their lives. At first, I thought Baker's character too cold and unlikable, but eventually realized he was meant to be very complicated. However, it was the acting of Alan Rosenberg, and particularly Dabney Coleman, that made the show stand out for me. I had never appreciated what a fine dramatic actor Coleman is. The show can be raw and difficult to watch at times, but the writing and the guest actors are excellent, and I highly recommend it.

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The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey Two-Disc Special Extended Edition

What we can expect in the EXTENDED EDITION.
WHAT WILL WE SEE IN THE EXTENDED EDITION:

1. More of DALE, including the BLACK ARROWS. Director Peter Jackson mentions a previously unseen character: "Girion, who is defending [the city of] Dale using black arrows against Smaug. And the black arrows play a part in an ongoing story, for they are the one thing that can pierce the dragon's hide."

2. More king of the wood elves; THRANDUIL. Peter Jackson: "There are also issues with Thranduil. We get some of the reason why he and the dwarves had a falling out - to do with these white gems..."

3. More of HOBBITON. Producer Phillipa Boyens: "You are going to get more of Hobbiton. We always wanted to wend our way through Hobbiton, but in the end Bilbo has to run out of the door."

4. The OLD TOOK'S PARTY: In which we see a younger Gandalf meet Bilbo Baggins as a young child, convincing the wizard of the young hobbit's bravery and courage. I won't spoil it for you, but it involves a dragon and a bit...

The Hobbit Amazon Exclusive Extended Edition
The packaging is great, the slipcase is thick and sturdy and the back features an embossed acorn emblem of Bilbo's waist coat buttons. The case that the Blu-Ray discs are in is black, just like the Lord Of The Rings Extended Edition Blu-Ray set. Not a blue case like most other Blu-Ray movies which I think makes this version cohesive with the Lord Of The Rings set, which I as a fan appreciate the continuity. The special features are as follows:

-The Filmmakers' Commentary - Director/writer/producer Peter Jackson and writer/co-producer Philippa Boyens provide their perspective and stories on creating the first film.

-New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth - From Matamata to Queenstown, travel with Peter Jackson and his team across the stunning locations of New Zealand, transformed by the filmmakers into Middle-Earth.

-The Appendices Part 7: A Long-Expected Journey - A 14-part chronological history of the filming of An Unexpected Journey, covering...

Wait until Chrismas 2013
Almost clicked the order button, but due to my love of the extended versions of the original trilogy, I decided to do a little research before I made that mistake. in doing so, I discovered that the Blue-Ray/DVD set for release on March 19th will contain only the theatrical version of the movie. Warner Bros is including a teaser trailer containing Dragon Smaug with this version in order to entice people to buy it. The extended version of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' will be released in time for Christmas 2013. As with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Warner Bros. is trying to stick it to the consumer again by hoping people will buy both versions. Sorry, WB... I can wait another nine months. In the meantime, I'll rent a copy to satisfy my urge to see it sooner.

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John Carter (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

John Carter Excceded My Expectations!
I went in to "John Carter" filled with trepidation. I often avoid these big, splashy CGI spectacles that never live up to their promises and I was sure that this film was going to be nothing more than lots of cinematic eye candy and short on substance. Added to that there was a lot of lackluster critical reviews. Well, all I can say is that this was a grand entertainment and I am so glad I caught it on the big screen!

I've heard some critics say the plot was a mess and overly convoluted. Really? My suggestion to them is "don't text while watching a movie, you might miss something". I found the plot fairly well done and actually made sense (if only the last Star Trek film had that going for it) and was interesting to boot.

I also read that the look of Barsoom (Mars to you and me) was dull and uninteresting. Hmmm, never been an admirerer of the stark and raw beauty of the American southwest I guess. Personally I found Barsoom to be beautiful, alien, exotic...

John Carter is an Epic Win Despite Horrible Marketing and Insane Critics
John Carter captures the spirit of the original ERB books very well. I'm not going to give a thorough review of the movie because so many other reviewers have already done that. I will, however, say that everyone involved in the production of this movie should be commended. The film takes Burroughs' "A Princess of Mars" and combines elements of the second book "Gods of Mars" (adding a few tweaks along the way) to create what can be called a mini-masterpiece. The story is well-written, the characters are fleshed out, the FX enhance the story not overshadow it, and the acting is excellent. The stunning Lynn Collins steals the show with her performance as Princess Dejah Thoris, Taylor Kitsch is admirable as Carter, and Willem Dafoe is perfect as the Thark leader Tars Tarkas. Andrew Stanton did a great job directing, the score is memorable, and the visuals are breathtaking.

If you haven't read the original books (which are absolute classics), you'll enjoy this movie...

Incredible Story
Former Confederate Civil War soldier, Captain John Carter has nothing left to fight for when he finds himself transported to a desert planet. Suddenly among a warrior tribe of four-armed aliens and a beautiful princess, Carter ends up in the middle of another war. But when faced with the chance of returning home to Earth, Carter may have found a cause worth fighting for in Princess Dejah and the people of Barsoom.

Taylor Kitsch stars as John Carter, the bitter and destitute man who cares for nothing but his found cave of gold. Kitsch has a young face and stoic countenance, perfect for the role of the ageless John Carter. He's a believable fighter and a great straight man to plenty of humor. Princess Dejah is played by Lynn Collins, who has terrific chemistry with John Carter, and is just as strong and smart as her male counterparts (if not more). Mark Strong and Dominic West are fantastic villains, especially West as a surprisingly charming and attractive (though na