behind

Philips SHN5500/37 Noise-Canceling Behind-The-Head Headphone
$49.99
I base this opinion from flying over 3000 hours on a USAF surveillance platform with $1000.00 BOSE sets. I purchased these for personal air travel because, as those who fly can attest, the engine and environmental systems are deceivingly obtrusive. Instantly I found the sound quality exponentially finer than the standard on-the-ear and in-the-ear headsets I was using. Only a hardcore enthusiast will be able to discern the difference between these and more expensive models. As for the noise cancelling of these; the package claims 75% cancellation which seems about right. Try this test: sit in a room with a constant background noise. Turn off the headset and put them on but do NOT plug them into any sound source. Switch them on and note the difference in sound leakage. Try it in your car with the hum of the road as your noise source. After flipping the switch on and off a few times I think you will agree there is more to these headsets than just impedance adjustment and amplification. All in all for the price I paid ($25.00) they are worth it. There's better, but you will pay far more in exchange for little gain.

Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words
$18.00
Warning: this book was obtained through the librarything early reviewers program and thus might represent an ARC which could be slightly different book than the final version.

"Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words" is written by John Marciano who is perhaps best known for being an author in the children's series "Madeline". This, his latest work, is a very easy to read book, most suitable for "word geeks," literature lovers, linguistics students, students of the history of the English language, or anyone who is a fan of trivia.

This book covers the origin of several words that are commonplace in the English language, but originally owed their start to being part of someone's name. Most people are aware of the Earl of Sandwich and his relationship to the food that bears his name, Mr. Crapper and his relationship to the toilet, and the word sadism as coming from Marquis de Sade. What about the pair of pants you are wearing? The word "pants" (originally Pantaloon) were named for Pantaleon, a physician. Shrapnel was named for Henry Shrapnel, the inventor of an exploding cannonball. You can read more about the origin of these words and many more by reading this book.

"Anonyponymous" is an entertaining read, although rather short, and is about the perfect size as a "stocking stuffer" for the holiday season or as a "grab bag" gift. If I had not obtained it as a reviewer, I would have unlikely purchased the book at it's list price which I feel to be too high for the size of the book. I suspect this will eventually find it's place in the bargain bin within the next year or so.

Behind Enemy Lines [Blu-ray]
$16.99
This movie is utterly devoid of facts and realism. This is reminiscent of the Arnold movies from the 80s & 90s, which wouldn't be so bad if this movie wasn't trying to be realistic and factual. I guess it should have been obvious from the Owen Wilson casting... this is someone thats good in comedies, not war (or action) movies. this movie i guess isn't too bad if you want a cheesy Hollywood action movie, but please do not expect anything else. this movie is unrealistic and factually retarded through and through.

Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking
$27.00
This is a great basic guide for creative cooks. I was fortunate enough to have a grandmother who understood much of the science behind cooking techniques; she shared that knowledge making me a good, solid cook. She did a lot of experimental cooking, so she probably had a good handle on the proportion of ingredients for various dishes. However, this knowledge was never formalized and, therefore, not passed on to me. I'm a good cook, but I'd have been even more willing to experiment over the years with the guidance of a book like this.

Instead of defining specific ingredients, this book gives you guidelines for the proportions of liquids, flour, fats, etc., for a successful recipe. The rest is up to you. I'm looking forward to experimenting--especially with cookies and crepes--which are favorites in my family.