Guide

SpineDok Review

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I recently wrote a piece drawing into question this product I’d seen advertised called the SpineDok. I drew it into question against the backdrop of my dad’s history of back problems and in a surprisingly bold move, the manufacturer struck back! There was an answer from the depths! They challenged my questions with a question of their own; will your dad try this product and give us his honest opinion? When I conferred with my dad he acquiesced; saying that while back problems had plagued him in the past, he wasn’t nearly as in pain now as he was then. However his wife, Lea, (not my mother but a lovely lady) had horrendous back pain; pain which he felt needed to be probed further. He allowed that they would both use the SpineDok and give back a full report.

That was two months ago; it has been as long that they’ve had the SpineDok. Here is their individual analysis.

My dad: My dad is a pretty physical guy. The son of a coach and gym teacher, inactivity and immobility don’t sit too well with him. Even when he’s got one thing he’s focused in on, he’s usually got a couple of other pots simmering. So activity is a way of life for him. When he first heard about my SpineDok encounter he assured me that his days of intensely ailing back were long since past him. He had lived on a strict regimen of ice, ibuprofen, and mind-over-matter self-healing which was on par with Jedi for some years though.

My dad’s back pains go as far as “occasionally sore” for periods of exertion. His analysis of the SpineDok was instructive to one end. He said that his experience on the SpineDok was that it was not at all painful to use; not painful to get on or get off. He also said that the relief allowed on the occasions that he did use it were well received and he said he would qualify this as “a useful tool” for someone with mild and occasional back pain. He was particularly satisfied with the way the arch of his back was extended following use of the SpineDok.

Lea: Remember, Lea has very bad back pain. Her experience with the SpineDok is particularly useful in another direction. When I fist spoke to Lea about the SpineDok she was rather hopeful and interested, though she did hedge her bets for any undue disappointment. Lea has “always had back issues,” and this is something which has followed her around always. My contact from SpineDok, Tomas, even said to me that while he believes in the utility of the product, “nothing is an end all cure for any kind of pain (and) many people struggle with tight back muscles.” Lea said of the SpineDok that “getting on it and getting off it really hurt.” She was the principal user of the SpineDok and used it exclusively for the duration of her treatment. She said that the unit “Stretched out her back uncomfortably.” However she did make a point to continue on with the trial because she said she would.

Her experience went that for the, “first 10 days (she) had the same issues with getting on and getting off of the SpineDok.” However she did note that after using it, later on in the day, she “began to feel some relief after the fact.” Her use after the first two weeks or so was infrequent just due to the pain. So while this is an encouraging note for someone who is going to use the SpineDok “every single day with continued use,” the pain eventually was too much to combat the relief that the SpineDok did bring.

This is good because Lea said this experience indicated to her that she needed more help. She told me that she has never had an MRI but she’s pretty sure she’s got a bulging disc. I am almost positive that the SpineDok is no substation for surgery; not do they claim to be. Lea has the lifelong problems of a bulging disc; Tomas from SpineDok even said, “Nothing is an end all cure for any kind of pain.”

So I think in the end the SpineDok may do many people an extraordinary amount of good. If you have mild to moderate back pain which comes and goes and you’re trying to find an alternative to a regimen of ice and ibuprofen, the SpineDok may offer you some relief. Moreover, if you use the SpineDok and find no relief; this is a glaring signal that you need to see a specialist. There is nothing worse than letting serious problems linger on too long before permanent damage is done. So to the makers of the SpineDok, I retract my initial suspicions though I am thrilled at your bold response to them.

I am glad that this event took place and can only hope that others are able to find the relief that they need for their ailing back. If the SpineDok can be a part of that program, all the better!

Travel

South Africa Traveling

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There are no animal rights in the South African bushveld. No medical care for the sickly, no protection for the weak. Here, a faltering stumble quickly catches the eye of the hungry lioness. A bolt of amber fur streaks through the dry grass, aiming for the throat. Unlike her tame domestic counterpart, this cat does not toy with her prey. The kill is quick and the smell of fresh blood fills the air. Her cubs will have meat tonight.

The male with his shaggy mane gets first choice and the most succulent tidbits. The hunter mother and her cubs must wait. Male chauvinism rules.

From the safety of the open Land Rover, we watch. Once the lions have eaten their fill, the hyenas and the vultures will ensure that not a morsel is wasted. This if life before civilization. Killing is not a sport, it is a mechanism for survival.

The game rangers are wary. Their powerful spotlights illuminate the scene, but every so often they flicker discreetly through the shadows. The antelope have long since fled, so there is no chance now of blinding them and weakening their defences. I suddenly feel very vulnerable, with only the night air between me and invisible, hidden, predatory eyes. For a hungry wild cat, the jump from the ground (or the nearest tree) onto the open topped vehicle is a very short one.

The drive back to the lodge is slow. There is no road. The driver stops so we can take a better look at the wide-eyed bush babies staring at us from the trees.

And then, it’s back to reality. Electric lighting. A comfortable room with running water in the en-suite bathroom. Drinks and conversation in the bar. An elegant meal under a jet black sky studded with stars too numerous to count. The milky way spills across the heavens.

Is this the same kind of buck the lions were eating? I ‘ll have the salad tonight, thank you.

Perhaps later we’ll wander down to the “hide” with our wineglasses, close the door and watch through the window to see who comes to drink at the remains of the waterhole. Someone saw a leopard here just the other night. Perhaps tonight it will be a cheetah, a civet, an African wildcat.

At dawn, of course, it will be crowded. Kudu, springbok, gemsbok, eland – all will make their way to sip at the precious drops in the tiny, muddy pool.

By then, of course, we will be on the Land Rover again, perhaps in the company of elephants towering above us, perhaps backing cautiously away from a rhino on the rampage. The baboons may

be out in their numbers, or perhaps we’ll find a cheetah just lying in the road.

The giraffes nibble at the tender tops of the trees. The zebras gnaw at the unpalatable grasses which only they can tolerate. The air hums with insect life. The countryside is dry. Too dry. It makes the animals easier to see – good for me, not so good for the ever-watchful herds sniffing for the scent of predators upwind.

We’re back for breakfast before the sun rises too high in the sky. Then, like the animals beyond the boundary fences, we too retreat to the shade, hiding from the harsh sun. An icy beer, a cold pool and a lazy deckchair make for perfect relaxation.

I awaken to the sound of thunder rumbling through my soul. Thick, dark clouds fill the sky. Suddenly, lightning cleaves the horizon in two. Before I can grab my towel and rush inside, the first big drops fall heavily to the ground. A cheer erupts all around me. It is raining!

Rain here does not fall, it plummets in sheets. It looks like a solid wall of water out there. Tomorrow, there will be tender green shoots in the bushveld. The hippos will be able to wallow in the river, snorting their pleasure. Waterholes will reappear, and with them, new herds that wandered elsewhere in search of water, and life.

And I will return to the city, with its concrete and its exhaust fumes, its traffic, its crowds and its fast foods. At least, my body will. A small part of my soul will stay here, in the African wild, calling to me at night in my dreams.

Guide

Smooth Away: Hair Removal System

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I saw the ads for Smooth Away on television numerous times. I couldn’t believe that something so simple and inexpensive could work so well. Guess what? I was right!

I didn’t just order the product blindly. I’m too thrifty (cheap) to stream roll into something without getting some type of feedback. Unfortunately, none of my friends had tried it. So I had to rely on the testimony of strangers to convince me. I Googled testimonies.

Shockingly all of the testimonies were positive. Everything from the shipping to the removal process – positive. Well, maybe I am the only person on this planet who has had a beginning to end bad experience with this company. So I thought I would share it just in case I have a kindred soul hiding out there in fear of seeming mean.

My first hint that this may not be the best of experiences was when I first placed my order. There was a glitch with the website. So after several tries my order finally went through. Then I noticed the fine print statement – MAY TAKE 5 TO 7 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY. They were not lying. By the time I received the product not only had I forgotten I ordered it. But I could braid the hair under my arms into the hair on my ankles. No, not a pretty sight.

Since I was already looking like a distant cousin to Chewbacca I immediately opened the product, read the instructions and began trying it on my legs. I recall the ad mentioned how the crystals would “exfoliate” the hair away. Well, I decided to stop before I hit marrow. I rubbed in the gentle circular motion with slight pressure as suggested. I even rubbed clockwise 3 times then counter clockwise 3 times in the same area as outlined in the instructions. I was supposed to repeat this until the hair was removed.

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But by the time I finished rubbing the bejeezus out of my leg I felt my carpal tunnel flaring up. Needless to say, I would not recommend using this product. I’m not sure who those jubilant people were who gave it an A+ rating. But their enthusiasm means my article will not cripple this company in these touchy economic times.

Oh, I’m not done.

It took well over a month to get the product. I ordered it at the end September and received it shortly after Thanksgiving. To my dismay I got another package for the same product Dec 16th. I immediately called their customer service to see if I had been charged the $57.40 being shown on the invoice.

My first call was passed to an automated system suggesting I call back later in the week because they had a high call volume (I wonder why). I began my second call with, “I would like to speak with someone about this potential charge to my account before I contact the Attorney Generals office with a complaint.”It was like magic. A supervisor was on the phone immediately. “Just send the product back and we’ll refund your money immediately.”

So, now I will wait to see if I am actually credited for this little snafu. I guess that will be around St. Patrick’s Day.Disfunctional hair removal systemhttps://www.getsmoothaway.com/ver3/index.asp?refcode=smooth3

Guide

Single Player Review for Twisted Metal

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Twisted Metal is a storied franchise going back to the original Playstation. The formula for success was simple – “create compelling game play and stories that would allow the user to identify with the character.” The new installment of the series drifts far away from this concept choosing to focus on three of the main characters from the series; Sweet Tooth, Mr. Grimm, and Dollface. If your main purpose for buying this game is to see the twisted ending for each character in the game, I can save you the trouble and tell you not to waste your cash. Rent it and beat it in a weekend.

The new twist in twisted metal is that you can choose any of the cars to play as while you are moving through your single player adventure. This adds an element of game play that is not seen in previous installments. However, since there are no other characters that you play through, the cars themselves become the personalities rather than the driver. All of the cars you have come to know and love are there though.

Player each progress through 6 different stages featuring different levels of difficulty and game mode types. The ending being a large boss battle. The large boss battles are really where things shine and become creative. No spoilers here so you just have to play the game, but the boss battles are well worth it.

The three prong approach to the story portion starts off well with Sweet Tooth as the main character and the story is compelling. However, things fall flat after this. Mr. Grimms story was an older story reused from Twisted Metal: Black with the same outcome and the Dollface story is contrived that the player can tell that single player was an after thought in the creation of this game.

The single player game overall takes around 2 – 4 hours to complete and can only be summed up with the word “disappointed.” As a fan of the series I felt the developer put too much emphasis on the multi-player game and not enough on what Gamer’s actually purchase this series for.


The controls for the single player game are hard to get use to right out of the gate. Using the training area will help the player get comfortable with the controls. Once the player has the controls down head out into the arena and start your adventure.

The game`s creators once again did not spend too much time in the single player mode as evidence by the enemy AI. Pretty much the player can expect to spend most of their time fighting all of the enemies instead of the enemies fighting an equal amount among themselves. The enemies despite being in a contest to try and destroy the other cars in the group will spend all their energy on the players car.
The second glaring issue in the single player is the special non-equipped weapons such as the vehicle freeze which is just a reusable special all cars get. When the enemy AI is focused on one goal, kill the player, you can expect this to be used over and over and over again.

The enemies are too dumb too pick up health and even when they pick it up it does not effect them. The weapons and health are pretty much there for the players benefit. Only in the multi-player universe will see another car racing for a weapons.

Over all this is one of the most disappointing installments in the franchise. I cannot stress enough to rent this game first and buy second. Over all this game ranks a 10 out of 25 for simply the multi-player portion which I did not cover. Buy or rent the game and have fun with your friends if you are looking for a car combat appetizer, but just know that there is not a whole meal here.

Guide

Selling Your Trash on EBay

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eBay is also a great way to make money from what you may think is trash. I’ve used eBay to sell a burned out power supply, a worn out wallet and some old luggage, all items I may have just thrown away.

I never deceive customers or misrepresent the items, in fact I do the opposite, I go overboard to describe and depict the items and their flaws and damage in detail, and I am able to list them on eBay as to be exposed to the widest audience possible. With the millions and millions of people on eBay in the US and around the world, there really is someone out there searching for whatever you might have to sell.

eBay is like a garage sale open to the world. The old luggage set I was selling went to store owner in Belgium who wanted them as a window display. The old ripped Louis Vuitton wallet went to a craftsman in Paris who specializes in restoring and selling vintage Louis Vuitton products.

This whole concept was really brought home to me about two years ago when the power supply burned out on my HP desktop computer, the same computer I’m writing on right now. After about two years of faithful service, I suddenly smelled the acrid odor of burning electrical stuff in my office. I sniffed and traced it to the computer, which now would not turn on and had a small black soot mark where one wire entered the power supply unit. I checked online and most information pointed to a bad power supply. I located a brand new unit on eBay, which cost about $100. I bought it, replaced the bad unit with the new unit and was up and running again.

Just to see what would happen, I listed my burned out, used power supply on eBay, clearly indicating it was burned out and not functioning. Bidding was brisk and I sold the unit for $70. Turns out the power supply was only made for a limited time by HP and the connectors are rare, not made anymore and needed for many applications. People didn’t really need the whole power supply, just the plastic connectors.

This burned out, useless (to me) power supply, something I was about to throw away without thinking twice, was worth almost as much as the new unit I bought.

eBay is also a great place to sell old clothes. Not old clothes, “vintage fashions”. It’s all how you label the items in the title and description.Vintage clothing is a big business and trendy stores in Los Angeles and New York take old, unwanted clothing. You may have old clothing at home, if you list the items correctly, you can reach this hipster audience, and charge them hipster prices.

You may be surprised at what old blue jeans, cowboy boots or accessories may bring. Also designer clothes from any era, also may bring top dollar if listed correctly.