Author Profile Page for: derwood

Member Since:  September 22, 2007      Last Activity:  June 5, 2009

On 24 Jul 03:22 derwood said: is cruising through life on auto-pilot

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72 Reviews / Articles Published by derwood

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Type / Name: 473 Trail Running Shoes (4E)
Designer: New Balance

Category: Clothing
Subcategory: Men's Footwear
Published: October 01, 2007 09:37
Overall Rating:
3.1

"New Balance 473 Trail Running Shoes 4E"

I've owned these sneakers for about 5 months, and during that time, I've worn them nearly everytime I stepped outside of the house.  I would estimate that I've walked about 400 miles in these sneakers since the day I bought them, including all of the walking I do throughout the course of a normal day, plus my nightly 2+ mile walk with our dogs. Even with all of that wear and tear, these sneakers still look pretty good and have no rips or tears in the mesh material in the upper portion of the shoes.  The sol...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: 19.2 Volt Cordless Drill/Driver
Made By: Craftsman

Category: Garden & Tools
Subcategory: Power Tools
Published: October 19, 2007 15:39
Overall Rating:
4.8

"Craftsman 19.2 Volt Cordless DrillDriver"

I received this drill a couple of years ago as a birthday gift.  It was actually included as part of a set, which also included a circular trim saw, a fluorescent work light, a reciprocating saw, a battery charger, and a couple of 19.2 volt batteries.  Prior to receiving this drill, I had been using a Black & Decker 12 volt cordless drill/driver which served me well for several years.  This drill, though, easily out classes my old Black & Decker in just about every way possible. The Craftsman 19.2 Volt Dril...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: International Forged Pro
Made By: J.A. Henckels

Category: Household
Subcategory: Kitchen Knives
Published: October 28, 2007 02:39
Overall Rating:
4.8

"J.A. Henckels International Forged Pro Knife Set"

When I started to become interested in cooking a few years ago, I found that I had outgrown the cheap set of dull knives that I owned, and decided that it was time for an upgrade.  I read some information online, then shopped around a little bit and found a very nice set of knives at a local department store, so I decided to give them a try.The knives that I selected were a six piece set of International Forged Pro knives by J.A. Henckels.  This set included a large chef's knife, a large serrated bread knife, a pari...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: Vac 750
Made By: FoodSaver/Tilia

Category: Household
Subcategory: Small Appliances
Published: November 02, 2007 09:31
Overall Rating:
4.4

"FoodSaver Vac 750 Vacuum Sealer"

Normally I'm very skeptical of any "as seen on TV" items that are sold through those 30 minute "infomercials" late at night.  However, on rare occasions I'll see one offering something that looks like a good idea, and it turns out to be something that I could actually use.  Such was the case with the FoodSaver Vac 750 vacuum sealer that I purchased a few years back.  I was living alone at that time, and had very little desire to mess up the tiny kitchen in my apartment every night by pre...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: Monitor 7 Loudspeakers
Made By: Paradigm

Category: Electronics
Subcategory: Audio Speakers
Published: September 25, 2007 09:50
Overall Rating:
4.6

"Paradigm Monitor 7 Loudspeakers"

Several years ago I owned a set of Bose home theater speakers, and I thought they were pretty decent at the time.  I was still pretty new to home audio back then, and I admit that I was taken in by Bose's excellent marketing.  I really didn't have an idea of how a "good" set of speakers should sound, though, until I paid a visit to the local high-end home audio dealer in my area.  They had a setup that allowed you to flip a switch and directly compare a set of Bose speakers similar to mine, versus...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: WD1200U017-000
Made By: Western Digital

Category: Computers
Subcategory: Hard Drives
Published: November 01, 2007 02:03
Overall Rating:
4.6

"WD Passport 120GB Portable Hard Drive"

This drive turned out to be one of the better deals that I've been fortunate to come across.  A couple of years ago, one of the local computer stores was closing down, and they were liquidating their remaining inventory.  I made several visits to the store during their clearance, and picked up various items that I had been wanting.  On the last visit that I made, I saw that they still had a stack of external hard drives, and since I can never have enough storage space, I decided to check them out.   Along with se...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: Migraine - Coated Caplets
Made By: Excedrin

Category: Health
Subcategory: Pain Relievers
Published: October 01, 2007 09:24
Overall Rating:
4.6

"Excedrin Migraine Coated Caplets"

Since I was about 18, I've been getting migraine headaches about once every couple of months.  I always know when one is coming on because it starts with a few problem-spots in my vision, and then about 30 minutes after that, it progresses into the actual headache.  That pain that I get with them can last anywhere between one and two days.  From some of the stories I've read, though, I'm probably pretty fortunate. While the pain that I get is bad, it's not completely debilitating like it is for some other folks...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: XRX-8X
Made By: Xerox

Category: Office
Subcategory: Paper Shredders
Published: October 19, 2007 15:18
Overall Rating:
3.2

"Xerox XRX-8X 8 Sheet Cross-cut Paper Shredder"

With everything I had heard about the threat of identity theft, I was convinced that I should invest in a personal paper shredder to destroy any of my sensitive documents before I threw them away.  I originally decided on an inexpensive shredder, but that one failed within a year when it overheated, and then shortly afterward the gears inside the shredder mechanism stripped.  When I purchased my second shredder, I decided that I wanted something made by a known company, and one that had a couple of additional features that my origi...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: SwissTool Spirit
Made By: Victorinox

Category: Household
Subcategory: Tools
Published: October 01, 2007 00:51
Overall Rating:
4.8

"Victorinox SwissTool Spirit Multi-Tool"

I've owned a multi-tool for several years, but I've always kept it in my car in case of emergencies while I'm on the road.  I've always liked the convenience of an all-in-one tool, and recently decided that I wanted purchase one for my use around the house.  After comparing many different models from several different companies, I settled on the Victorinox SwissTool Spirit.  I was already familiar with the quality of Victorinox tools because I've owned many of their Swiss Army knives in the past...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: Wasp & Hornet Killer Spray
Made By: Raid

Category: Garden & Tools
Subcategory: Pest Control
Published: October 19, 2007 15:04
Overall Rating:
3.8

"Raid Wasp Hornet Killer Spray"

Our home was invaded earlier this summer by a swarm of wasps.  Apparently, they snuck in during the night and set up camp on our front porch, inside a couple of little gaps around our window and door frames.  Since we almost always enter our house through the garage, we didn't even know they were there until our pizza delivery guy called us from his car refusing to come to the front door.  Normally, I probably would have been OK with letting them live out there for the summer, as long as they could be cool about it, but on...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Type / Name: Anaconda (Shiny Black) Polarized TNS
Designer: Bolle

Category: Clothing
Subcategory: Sunglasses
Published: October 05, 2007 22:59
Overall Rating:
4.8

"Bolle Anaconda Polarized Sunglasses"

I've owned a lot of cheap sunglasses over the years, because I used to think that aside from the frame and style, they were all pretty much the same.  I used to believe that, that is, until I tried out a pair of polarized sunglasses made by Bollé.  Looking through them, everything was so clear and any glare in the surrounding environment was completely eliminated.  I was very impressed.  Since then Bollé polarized sunglasses are the only ones that I'll buy, and they are the only ones that I use on a ...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: M-402 Mechanical Pencil
Made By: Zebra

Category: Office
Subcategory: Pencils & Pens
Published: October 19, 2007 15:47
Overall Rating:
4.8

"Zebra M-402 Mechanical Pencil"

All through my years in school, I hated using those old yellow pencils that needed to be sharpened all the time.  It seemed like the tip of my pencil would always be too dull for my liking, or would always break off whenever I needed it the most.  When I discovered the joy of using a mechanical pencil, though, those problems became a thing of my past.  By far, the mechanical pencil of my choice these days is the "M-402" model from Zebra.  This pencil uses 0.5mm lead, which is always sharp, and is the...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: Ionic Breeze Quadra Tabletop (SI697)
Made By: Sharper Image

Category: Household
Subcategory: Air Purifiers / Humidifiers
Published: October 04, 2007 00:18
Overall Rating:
2.2

"Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Quadra"

I'm usually really good about doing research and educating myself before I make a big purchase.  However, in a few situations I've become desperate enough to try even a gimmicky product, if I thought it might help.  This was one of those purchases. For most of my life I've had to deal with allergies every spring and summer.  They would always be at their worst when I was outside, but I could usually find relief from the sneezing and itchy eyes by going into an air-conditioned home.  Unfortunately, ...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Type / Name: Science Diet Sensitive Stomach
Made By: Hills

Category: Shopping
Subcategory: Pet Supplies
Published: September 24, 2007 13:00
Overall Rating:
4.7

"Science Diet Sensitive Stomach Dog Food"

About a year-and-a-half ago, our two retired greyhounds developed some digestive "issues".  Let's just say that things were not as "solid" as we would have preferred.  After a trip to the vet's office, we ruled out any type of illness, and were told that they were probably just having a negative reaction to their diet.  We were recommended a bland diet of chicken and rice for the immediate future, followed by a diet of prescription food which was only available from the vet's office, and which c...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: 125 NO-CRANK Hose Reel
Made By: Crate

Category: Garden & Tools
Subcategory: Hoses / Accessories
Published: October 19, 2007 15:12
Overall Rating:
4.3

"Crate 125 NO-CRANK Hose Reel"

Sometimes when I'm shopping, I make the mistake of grabbing an item without paying enough attention, and I end up bringing home something that I was really not planning on buying.  This item was one of those cases, however, it worked out much better than I planned.After buying my first house, I went out to the local home improvement store shopping for a garden hose as well as a bunch of other items I needed.  I found a good hose and planned on grabbing a simple hand-cranked hose reel, just so I could keep the hose u...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: Disposable Yellow Jacket Trap
Made By: Raid

Category: Garden & Tools
Subcategory: Pest Control
Published: October 19, 2007 15:02
Overall Rating:
3.3

"Raid Disposable Yellow Jacket Trap"

During the summer months this year, we had a wasp problem on our front porch.  I tried various methods to kill or otherwise rid ourselves of the pests, but unfortunately I had only limited success.  During one of our weekly shopping trips, I came across a product in the bug-spray section that I had never seen before.  It was the Raid Disposable Yellow Jacket Trap, which according to the package, was supposed to catch, trap, and kill yellow jackets and wasps.  I was running out of ideas to get rid of our wasps, and this di...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: Vector 985 (V985)
Made By: Beltronics

Category: Automotive
Subcategory: Radar Detectors
Published: September 26, 2007 15:41
Overall Rating:
4.6

"Beltronics Vector 985 V985 Radar Detector"

I enjoy driving.  Like most drivers, I've sometimes found myself going a little bit faster than the posted speed limit.  And, on more than one of those occasions I've actually been pulled over and ticketed.  Now, I'm not going to pretend that I'm innocent and say that I've never exceeded the limit intentionally, but by far, the majority of the times that I've been pulled over it's been simply because my mind was focused on something else, and I just wasn't paying enough attention.  Since I ...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: EL-520L Twin Power Calculator
Made By: Sharp

Category: Office
Subcategory: Calculators
Published: October 04, 2007 01:08
Overall Rating:
4.2

"Sharp EL-520L Twin Power Calculator"

I've had this calculator banging around inside my desk drawer for a couple of years now, and it still works just as good as it did the day I bought it.  It almost looks as good too, thanks to the built-in hard plastic cover.   My decision to buy this calculator originally came about because I was looking for something a little more advanced than a "basic-math-only" type, and this one offered the functionality that I wanted at a good price.  In addition to several scientific functions,...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: Continuous Flow Garden Hose
Made By: Colorite

Category: Garden & Tools
Subcategory: Hoses / Accessories
Published: October 19, 2007 15:10
Overall Rating:
4.8

"Colorite 75 ft. Continuous Flow Garden Hose "

When we moved into our house, I spent the first couple of weeks figuring out and accumulating all of the household supplies I thought that I might need in the future.  One of the items that I knew I wanted was a good garden hose, so I set out to buy one.I took a look at several of the local mega-marts and home improvement stores, before I found the Colorite Continuous Flow garden hose and decided that was the one I'd buy.  When I got it home I hooked it up, loaded into the new hose reel that I bought, and I tested i...

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derwood
Author:
derwood
Rank: 184th (up 7)
ShareScore: 40%
Reviews: 72
Friends: 87

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Product Name: E2 Lithium AA Batteries (L91)
Made By: Energizer

Category: Electronics
Subcategory: Batteries
Published: September 23, 2007 21:39
Overall Rating:
5.0

"Energizer AA E2 Lithium Batteries"

It seems like nearly every device nowadays requires some form of battery to operate, and for years the most popular battery type seems to have been the AA.  AA batteries are available from many different makers, and for many different prices, but they are not all equal.  The top of the line AA battery that I have encountered is the E2 Lithium AA battery made by Energizer.   While Energizer E2 AA batteries are the same size as standard Alkaline and Rechargeable AA batteries, there are many differences. ...

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My Stats

  • Community Rank: 184th
  • ShareScore: 40%
  • Earnings: $427.19
  • Published Content: 72
  • Votes Received: 8
  • Votes Given: 0
  • Friends: 87
  • Referrals: 1

About Me

  • First Name: Dusty
  • Gender: Male
  • Age: 36
  • Education: College
  • Children: 0
  • Languages: English
  • Industry: Software
  • Position: Support / Testing
  • Interests: TV, Computers, Internet, Pets / Animals
  • Hobbies: Walking, Woodworking

My Contact Info

  • State/Prov: NY
  • Country: United States

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