Free coffee today on National Coffee Day

  need caffeine guys?

Today's your day!

If you're hankering for a cup of coffee, today's one day you can get your coffee and drink it too -- for free!

Sept. 29 is National Coffee Day, and several popular places will give your fix for free.

McDonald's, Krispy Kreme, Dunkin' Donuts are among businesses in Phoenix and elsewhere celebrating National Coffee Day with a free mug of java.

Do they hope you'll pay for an Egg McMuffin, Chocolate Frosted or Original Glazed while you're sipping? Of course!

But do you have to? Apparently not!

"On Sept. 29, National Coffee Day, guests can walk into any participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurant across the country and receive a free medium cup of Dunkin' Donuts hot Dark Roast Coffee, with a limit of one per guest," Dunkin' Donuts proclaims in a press release.

"Coffee Isn't Just A Drink. It's A Feeling," Krispy Kreme says. "Take your much needed coffee break on Monday... Get a FREE 12-ounce cup of coffee.

"Ahhh... enjoy the aroma of it all. You deserve it, you've earned it.Locate your coffee break retreat and you'll be on your way to a treat brewed for you."

McDonald's has been handing out free cups of Joe for two weeks already -- and today is the last day.

If you're there in time, coffee lovers can get a free small McCafe during breakfast hours at participating McDonald's restaurants in Phoenix and across the country.

It's part of McDonald's #Sipandtell social media campaign @mccafe, which urges coffee fanatics to describe their embarrassing "pre-coffee" moments.

Social media is abuzz with free coffee fans, see #Happy National Coffee Day.

Chick-Fil-A's weeklong free coffee deal goes until Saturday. The chain hopes to promote its "farmer-direct" coffee, bought from farms in Central America.

Laurie Merrill, The Republic | azcentral.com

What’s happening in Hong Kong?

By Evan Horowitz

  | GLOBE STAFF   SEPTEMBER 29, 2014

Protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong over the weekend, where they were met by police with pepper spray and tear gas.

What fuels the standoff is the protesters’ demand for more democracy, including the right to choose Hong Kong’s political leaders without interference from Beijing. The Chinese government, for its part, wants to keep democratic demands in check and maintain some control over Hong Kong politics.

What ignited these protests?

It’s all about 2017. That’s the year Hong Kong’s voters were supposed to gain the right to elect their own chief executive (the leader of Hong Kong). Last month, however, the Chinese government announced that all candidates would need to be pre-approved by a committee friendly to the Chinese Communist Party.

Pro-democracy groups saw this pre-approval as a way to limit the will of voters. They came together under the name of “Occupy Central” to plan protests and try to reverse Beijing’s decision.

What do the protesters want?

They want the current chief executive to resign, and they want free elections beginning in 2017.

One interesting wrinkle is that often, when people take to the streets for universal suffrage, there’s a concrete reason they want the right to vote. It could be to drive out a dictator, to improve social services, or to ease an onerous tax system.

For now, though, it’s not clear that the protesters in Hong Kong want any such change. Economically speaking, Hong Kong is a very privileged region. Per-capita income in Hong Kong is roughly as high as it is in the United States, and four times higher than in China as a whole.

It is possible, though, that a recent economic slowdown is contributing to the unrest.

Is Hong Kong part of China, or not?

“One country, two systems.” That’s the basic framework. Hong Kong is not an independent nation but it does have a good deal of autonomy — including a separate political structure, a different legal system, and protections for free speech.

For over 150 years, Hong Kong was actually a British colony, which explains why protesters are filling streets with names like “Harcourt Road” and “Queensway.” Hong Kong gained its status as a hub of global finance while under British rule, and it didn’t rejoin China until 1997.

How has China responded to the protests?

Whether or not Chinese officials were involved in the decision to crack down on protesters, they have expressed their support for those tactics.

They’ve also been working hard to prevent the spread of information and images coming out of Hong Kong. That includes beefing up the “great firewall” and even blocking photo-sharing sites like Instagram.

How will this end?

For now, the police crackdown seems to have backfired, drawing more people into the streets and expanding the protests well beyond the bounds that even “Occupy Central” had envisioned.

To a large degree, the endgame may depend on the actions of the powerful Hong Kong business community. If businesses side with the protesters, that could put tremendous pressure on Beijing to rethink its approach. But if they choose law and order over democratic demands, protesters may be dangerously isolated.

The darkest shadow looming over these events is the one cast by the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, where tanks were brought in and hundreds of student protesters were killed. Twenty-five years have passed since then, and a new generation of leaders has assumed power. But the legacy of Tiananmen Square remains highly chargedand the current situation may once again force Beijing to choose between accommodating demands for democracy or quashing them.

Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media Player

By Shauna Morgan on July 27, 2013

I actually ordered a Chromecast the day it was announced from Google. However the next day, I was told that they were available for purchase at bestbuy. I was anxious to try it out so I went and bought another one and gave it a try.

Setup was easy and within 5 minutes, I was watching a youtube video on my 65" TV. The quality was VERY good. I tried a 1080p video first "Big Buck Bunny" and it looked, played and sounded wonderful. Next, was playing music from my Google Play music app. Same result, the music sounded great.

I moved on to my Macbook Pro, and again, the videos was clear, without lag, no audio sync problems at all. Same for my Windows PC.

Those considering buying the Chromecast should consider what the Chromecast actually is and does, instead of what they wish it could do. So here are some facts:

1. The Chromecast is not a streaming device of local digital content. In other words, it does NOT play digital music and videos that is stored locally on your network drives or computers. However there is a work-around for this:

Use PLEX Media Server. If you don't already have it, here's the link:

[...]

Once you download it and point it to your files,it will act as a proxy and allow your music and videos to be played on your HDTV using the Chromecast through the Chrome browser. Simply launch the PLEX Media Manager in Google Chrome browser. Pick a file to play, Hit the Google Cast button and you'll get seamless playback of your own files. [Edit: Please see comments to see an alternative method].

2. The Chromecast is not a DLNA or Miracast device or Apple's airplay. This is a lot like my number 1 fact, but I wanted to make this clear. If you want device mirroring (display whatever is on the device's screen), the Chromecast, is NOT for you. The video and music does NOT stream from the controller device (Your computer, tablet, smartphone). Chromecast works by fetching the content from a website or cloud service itself, NOT from the device you're using. Here's what's cool about that:

A. You could start playing a video using your smartphone,tablet,computer as a "remote" and still be able to browse the web, play a game, check your social apps, write a book report, put the device to sleep,turn the device completely off (I tried this myself), or leave the house, and the video WILL still play without issues.

B. Your battery life is saved! Because your phone, tablet or computer (not plugged in)is not actually streaming to the Chromecast, your battery consumption is minimal. You could Play dozens of movies over several days and still have most of your battery life remaining (Of course this would depend on what else you do with the phone, tablet or computer and how long your device can stay in standby).

C. Every device connected to the Chromecast on the same network can take control of playback, adding to the queue (what's going to play next). Pause, fast forward, rewind, etc. So if your roommate, friend, parent, sibling, spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend has to leave with their device, you don't have to worry.

D. You can play content from thousands upon thousands of sources using your computer. Using Google Chrome, nearly every webpage, that has content can be viewed using Chromecast. Of Course, this depends what protocols the site is using. If the site has trouble playing on your computer, then it probably won't work well on the Chromecast, either.

3. Chromecast IS cross platform (works with multiple devices). As I said, I tried it with several devices with different operating systems. At the time of this review, it works on Windows PC's, Macbooks, and android devices. The app for iOS devices is coming soon. Everyone knows the Apple App store has stringent policies and at times, it can be a long process. Look at the Onlive game streaming app. We won't get into how Apple has been trying to eradicate google applications from it's ecosystem anyway. I'm sure the app is waiting for approval. Just be patient. [Edit: Please see comments for a reply to it working on iOS devices].

There are several youtube videos that can show you how to set it up or how well it works. I made a video myself:

[...]

Watching my video isn't required, but it does help to verify what I'm saying.

4. The device you use with the Chromecast, must be on the same WIFI network. The important word here is WIFI. If you are trying to use it, with a ethernet (wired) connected device, even though it's on the same network, it will NOT work! Yes, that sucks, but not being able to use sink water in your gas tank, kind of sucks to. If that's a deal breaker for you, then you shouldn't purchase it. It's how they chose to implement it's use. It is, what it is. [Edit: Please see comment section].

5. The Netflix 3 months free limited time offer is over! I received 3 months free with both my purchases. I live in the eastern time zone. Even though I bought my second Chromecast on July 25th at 6:46pm. I realize that when the offer was no longer available, it should have been posted immediately so that consumers could factor that into their decision to buy the Chromecast. Instead of calling it a limited time offer, they should have said "while supplies last." Never the less, the features and functionality of this device has nothing to do with the inadequacy of a bonus offer. To help people make a decision about a future purchase and if it will work for THEM in the home configuration they have, is paramount in my book.

6. The Chromecast REQUIRES power through USB connection or from your wall outlet. The required peripherals ARE provided to you in the retail box. Some people are saying if you have an HDMI 1.4 compatible port on the back of your TV, the device can be powered by the HDMI port alone, without the USB cord connected. I CANNOT speak to that, as my HDMI ports did NOT power the Chromecast. I had to use the provided USB wire and connect it to a USB port available on the back of my TV.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the purchase. I've read some of the other reviews, particularly the 1 and 2 star reviews, because it's an indicator of what can possibly go wrong with the device. I would suggest that people make their decision based on people that have actually bought the device and have experience connecting, setting it up and ACTUALLY using the device. Most of the bad reviews are from people that have not used it, didn't understand the features of the device, or, to be honest, has a problem with the competition between Apple and Google and wants to dismiss this product because of their affinity for Apple products. Look at the features and functions of this device and consider them for yourself.

I hope this review helps someone who may be considering this device.

EDIT: Recently more apps were added with chromecast support, including the PLEX app! Other editions are: HBO Go, Hulu Plus, Pandora, Vevo, Redbull.tv, Songza, Post TV, Viki, Real Player Cloud.

OZ Naturals Facial Mask - The BEST Moisturizing Face Mask Contains Rosehip Oil, Pro Vitamin B5 & Amino Acids - This Anti Aging Face Mask Provides A Hydration Tsunami That Deeply Hydrates & Nourishes Your Skin Cells For That Dewy, Youthful Glow

Effective, yet Gentle Enough for Everyday Use By Leslie on September 17, 2014 Verified Purchase

           Using Amino Herbal Hydration Mask by Oz Naturals is a unique experience for me. The mask comes in a plastic tube, which I prefer over an open jar because the ingredients stay fresher, with less chance of bacterial contamination. The substance is a milky white gel that glides on your face in a clear application. This gel does NOT stiffen the way I have been accustomed to with other facial masks, nor does it turn any of those scary colors. It remains clear, and since there is none of the usual stiffening, it does NOT crack either. Therefore, you can move your face around rather than staying expressionless and stiff. While I had this mask on, I was able to take a short phone call and even drink some water. When I walked around the house, no one knew that I had anything on my face! The directions state to leave on for 15 - 30 minutes. I compromised and left it on for just over 20 minutes. Washing the mask off was simpler and easier than I have ever experienced after using a facial mask. Scrubbing was NOT necessary, it was as easy as washing your face after using your facial cleanser. My result was soft, nourished skin, with tightened skin pores. I felt refreshed and clean, and then I immediately used a toner right after to keep and lock in the moisture. I am one who does read ingredients. I do it for the food I eat, and I do it for anything that I put on my skin, and yes, it does make a difference, I can assure you from my experiences. Although, I am now a little older, my skin is much better. Some lines and wrinkles are inevitable, but my complexion is bright and clear. So anyway, I checked out all the ingredients in my typical way. Amino Herbal Mask Ingredients This mask contains Aloe Vera, which has ANTI-BACTERIAL PROPERTIES, along with Vitamin B 5, and Organic Avena Sativa, which is Oat. These are to help with acne and other skin problems while providing properties to heal, soothe, moisturize, and relieve burning and itching, to calm and help hydrate. Frankincense Essential Oil - acts as an ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, used to reduce skin irritations, like rashes. For overly dry and flaking skin, frankincense can have a soothing effect. Evidence has shown it to reduce redness and scaling and improve dry patches in people who massage the essential oil into their skin regularly. Those with aging skin use products with frankincense to help reduce fine lines and smooth out complexions. It may also help reduce the appearance of scars. Rosehip Oil - is a natural acne and eczema treatment, it's ANTI-INFLAMMATORY and ANTI-OXIDDANT properties helps to decrease environmental damage and soothe the skin. This oil is a safe solution to repair the skin's surface, restore elasticity and protects against sun and pollution stressors that can lead to wrinkles. This is a Nourishing oil that both moisturizes and hydrates dry skin. Another benefit of Rose Hip Oil is used as a scar treatment, stretch marks, age spots, hyper-pigmentation, burns and scars. Its astringent and skin nourishing properties will help to speed up the healing process, as well as hydrate and moisturize the area. As a premature aging prevention, this oil helps to smooth fine lines and wrinkles and even up skin tone. Jojoba Oil - offers some protection against the sun's harmful rays, fighting the dryness that is known to promote both fine lines and wrinkles. Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), - is an ANTIOXIDENT, Neutralizing free radicals UVA, UVB, infrared radiation A, and replenishes skin's Lipids (giving structure to cell membranes) therefore, increases firmness, and helps to reduce wrinkles (14) Silk Amino Acid Blends - amino acids are essential for maintaining healthy cell function and renewal, as well as the skin's structure and natural moisturizing factors. Amino acids also have ANTIOXIDANT properties that help repair free radical damage. Amino acids are added to ANTI-AGING skin treatments to help replenish the collagen and elastin fibers that give skin its strength, texture, and resiliency. Our bodies use these organic molecules to synthesize collagen, elastin, and other essential proteins in our skin. L-form amino acids also have a natural tendency to form strong bonds with water molecules, so they can dramatically boost the skin's moisture level as well. Botanical Hyaluronic Acid (HA) - The loss of natural hyaluronic acid is one of the causes of wrinkles. Since topical products with HA cannot penetrate to deeper layers, the moisturizing effects from these will only last a few days. Repeated use of HA will maintain moisture levels in the skin, preventing dehydration. Hyaluronic acid is useful for reducing or removing wrinkles, which make the skin look younger and increase skin tone, making it look smooth and supple. Kosher Vegetable Glycerin - an emollient, attracts moisture to the skin, and therefore hydrates Potassium Sorbate - and - Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin - are safe useful preservatives for personal care and beauty products, used as a safe alternatives rather than the controversial parabens. All beauty products that contain a large amount of water need to be preserved. In conclusion, Amino Herbal Hydration Mask by Oz Naturals is effective and yet, gentle enough for everyday use. So bring a little heaven to your face for a healthy refreshing, and hydrating facial experience. Your face will be soft, and supple, with a tightening effect for your skin pores, and it feels so good! I hope my review has been helpful regarding your decision to try the Amino Herbal Hydrating Mask by Oz Naturals. Disclosure: I was provided with a sample of this product to review, however, my results are my own, my opinions are my own, and my research has been gathered from the internet.

OZ Naturals - THE BEST Vitamin C Serum For Your Face

"Best Serum that I have tried so far" By Leslie on May 27, 2014 Size Name: 1fl oz Verified Purchase First, I would like to stipulate that I am an avid Skin Ceutical consumer.

 I have reached my sixties, and although I have been told that "I really look pretty good for my age" I am like most women at this stage in that I have not escaped the inevitable fine lines and the onset of wrinkles. I chose this year to do something about this concern. First I went through a CO2 treatment to get rid of any sunspots that had accumulated over the years. Then I proceeded to use Retin A, along with a regiment of derma rolling (micro-needle therapy). I do use the Skin Ceutical Vitamin C E Ferulic Acid in the mornings, but in the evenings, after my derma rolling session I am using OZ Naturals Vitamin C Serum. I have given OZ Vitamin C serum a 5 star rating for a few different reasons. 1) The OZ Vitamin C serum does NOT sting my face. I apply this serum directly after an aggressive 10 minute session of derma rolling when my face is red and the skin is slightly raw. Even the Skin Ceutical serum stung, but with the Oz serum there is only a slight tingle as my skin is tightening. 2) I have not developed any allergic rash, welts or bumps 3) The benefits of the OZ serum seem to be exactly the same as my much more expensive Skin Ceutical serum. Now, this is why I chose to try the OZ naturals serum. Before I choose what to purchase I do read through the reviews, almost all of them including any 1, 2, and 3 star reviews. What I found impressive was that in many of the lower ratings a representative from Oz Naturals would reply under comments, often encouraging any dissatisfied customers to please call and speak directly to the OZ esthetician for personal support and help with the product. Customer service like this is to be commended. This shows a willingness to listen, help, and a true belief in their product. This impressed me enough to choose OZ Naturals over the other high rated serum products. Now for the last part of my lengthy review I would like to share some tips that I have learned both from both my research and personal experience: 1) First of all, according to what I've read in many dissatisfied reviews, there is a misconception of what a face serum is used for. A serum is NOT a moisturizer. It has more of a face tightening property. A good moisturizer should be applied AFTER the serum has had a few moments to be absorbed into the skin. 2) A serum will only help in conjunction with other skin care products and your healthy life-style. You need to stay hydrated, and get enough sleep, and we all know that sun, stress and environment plays a large part in the health of our skin. Think of it as getting ready for a special event. Buying a new dress is not all that is required for the event. There are shoes, accessories, a handbag, doing your hair, maybe painting your nails, and perhaps some make-up. The same is true for skin care products, working all together should get you some positive results over time. 3) Please don't expect miracles within a few days, weeks or even months. If you think about it, a long fingernail that breaks is not going to grow the full length back in a day, nor is you hair going to grow 2 inches in a few weeks, and I think it's unrealistic to believe that someone is going to lose 50 lbs in a month. Well your skin is no different. Even with a professional face lift it takes quite a while for your face to heal and lose the numbness. The collagen in your face takes about a month for the cells to turnover. There are going to be some better days and worse days in between, but after a month you may see some small improvement, but usually so small that it's only apparent to you. However, in 4 to 6 months these monthly improvements add up to be significant for others to notice. So, be diligent in your skin care routine, and be patient. It will happen, everyone has different issues and needs and therefore experience different time periods before they see all the positive results that they are looking to receive. If you have taken the time to read through my rather lengthy review, I hope that it has been helpful, and encouraging.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

By Renfield on August 4, 2014

Format: Audio CD

There's no doubting that Guardians of the Galaxy is the first truly fun movie you'll see all summer. In a summer where the truly fantastic movies' themes have been the daddy issues and nuclear nightmares of gigantic radioactive dinosaurs, and xenophobia in an planet where humans and apes struggle to coexist, halfway through the summer comes the first film that has been the total escape of the year. Sure, it isn't a perfect movie- there are some issues with pacing, and the villains' dialogue is a tad corny, and some underdeveloped character relationships, but none of that matters when you're having so much fun and reveling in the action, clever dialogue, amazing visuals and in general, the nostalgia that the themes conjure up such as elements of Star Wars, Indiana Jones and even The Avengers. But one thing that is perfect? Its soundtrack. I say without exaggeration that you will walk out with several of its 1970s retro gold tracks in your head. And since I've picked up the soundtrack CD on Friday, I haven't been able to stop listening to it since- it's been on my iPad, my phone, on the way to work during dinner, etc. And I can say that one listen is enough to get this effect going.

Mix tapes play a big part of the film's themes. The protagonist, Peter "Starlord" Quill, has a Walkman he keeps on him as he goes around and steals ancient artifacts from far-off planets- something he's had since he was a kid, and a tape deck on his spaceship. He has his "Awesome Mix Vol. 1" he has had since childhood, and its music, in addition to Tyler Bates' incidental music, is what makes up the heart of the film. And on its own, it's just as great, if maybe even better. The entire album is 12 1970s hits, some you can sing along to by heart, some you forgot even existed, and others you may have never even heard. And it works- the soundtrack isn't just nostalgia for nostalgia's sake. It's music that people of all walks of life will love- in fact, when's the last time you can say you've played tracks like "Hooked on a Feeling" or "Come and Get Your Love" at full blast? That's why the soundtrack works- it's an eclectic mix of classics that's suited for any occasion whatsoever.

In a nice touch, the executive soundtrack producers (director James Gunn, Exec. producer Kevin Feige and Dave Jordan) have re-mastered the tracks in a way to make the tracks sound as if they're being played through an old tape deck, to keep the feel of the tracks. In addition, the track selection is nothing short of perfect. If this were any other film, tracks such as "I Want You Back" or "O-o-h Child" being on the soundtrack would come off as passé, but here, it makes perfect sense, given the film's themes and nostalgic feel. Starting off the tracklist on an energetic note with Blue Swede's cover of "Hooked on a Feeling" and ending with "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", the tracklist is consistent- a rollercoaster of high energy uptempo rockers ("Cherry Bomb", "Spirit in the Sky"), smooth ballads to even things out ("Fooled Around and Fell in Love", "I'm Not in Love"), and funky pop classics ("I Want You Back", "Come and Get My Love"). Every track on the disc is perfectly placed, and not once does the energy come to a stop. In the context of the film, they work equally as fantastic- watching our heroes get ready for war to the sounds of "Cherry Bomb", watching Quill get down and boogie to "Come and Get My Love" over the opening credits, watching Quill fly his way back to his ship in his battle gear to the funky sounds of "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)". What's not to love?

In short, this soundtrack is for everyone. The older crowd will love having a collection of hits to remind them of the good old days of the seventies, the younger crowd can use this to put themselves in their dad's shoes and remember what it was like to be a teenager and be groovin' to tunes like "Hooked on a Feeling" and "Spirit in the Sky". As of writing, this album is currently the highest selling soundtrack of the year, and it's hardly a surprise to me- both in the sense that it's just so freaking good, and in the sense that the day I bought it, I had to go to three stores just to get it. So, by all means, buy this album. Get out your red leather coat, protective helmet and hook your mini Jetpack to your shoes, rev up your spaceship, fly around and dance around in the vast deserts of interstellar planets to these songs. Go join a group of heroes that includes a bitter and cynical raccoon, a walking tree, an angsty alien and a green warrior woman. Play these songs just to annoy them. Whatever the case, this is an absolute must-buy.

Sport Watch by Gshock

 Ok lets begin... I have been eye-ing the Casio G-Shocking Rescue Red G7900 for some quite time. Casio has released several colors of this G-Shock, one being a limited edition negative display of the red version, but other colors such as white, olive green, black, and another black but with yellow display.

But what caught my attention is the moon and tide graph. I have a Gulfman and G-Lide and the tide and moon display for the G7900 was one of the best I have seen out from Casio thus far. The display is nice and clear, not many obstructions as you get a circular moon tide graph on the upper left, tide graph on top and on the right, you get stop watch modes (for stopwatch 1 & 2). The larger display is the time and date.

Of course, aside from the cool display and what really pulled me in was its red color. The red bezel and band really pops and love the black highlights throughout the watch. Unlike other G-Shock red watches that have orange, this one is red and black and really enhances an outfit (especially if you were a lot of dark colors, especially black and blue). This watch definitely compliments an outfit.

As for the back case, it is stainless steel and you get the usual G-Shock Resist on the back.

The battery used for the G7900A-4 is one lithium battery (CR2025) which lasts approximately 2 years (normal usage). Accuracy at normal temperature is +/- 15 seconds a month.

Now, the band for the Rescue Red is also awesome looking! It doesn't have a shiny look but more of a matted resin look, which I like. The band is quite comfortable, but while not as perfect like the Mudman strap, it still fits comfortably on your wrist and at the base of the strap which connects to the case, there is a black guard that goes over the bumps of the band. Some people complained that watches with those ridges near the base hurt their wrist, so I felt that it was smart for Casio to include those black plastic guards on the back.

I. THE FUNCTIONS

The G-7900A-4 features the moon and tide display on top. Day indicator on top and at the bottom is the time, seconds and date.

Pressing the illumination button on the front gives you an aqua light which is the blue and blue/green illumination that many G-Shocks do come with. This G7900A-4 has two EL (electro-luminescent) panels that cause the entire display to glow for easy reading in the dark and also comes with an auto-light switch, if set, by a slight angle movement will make the light turn on. I have this turned off because I want my batteries to last long! You can set illumination from 3 to 5 seconds.

The modes that come with the Casio G-Shock Rescue Red G7900A-4 is:

* Timekeeping Mode
* Tide/Moon Data Mode
* Stopwatch Mode (ST1)
* Stopwatch Mode (ST2)
* Countdown Timer Mode
* Alarm Mode
* World Time Mode (48 Cities/29 Time Zones)

The stopwatch modes have a display range of 999 hours, 59 minutes, 59.99 seconds and there is auto-start. As for alarm mode, is good and audible. You can also mute the tones as well.

II. THE BUTTONS

The buttons are black and flat and not steel and have a feel similar to the Mudman's but of course, where the Mudman's are designed to keep mud out and takes much more pressure (and for some people, much harder to press), the buttons are easy to press on the G7900. There are four buttons and for the most part, one should not have problems with selections.

III. WATER RESISTANCE

The Casio G-Shock Rescue Red G7900A-4 is marked at 20 Bar which means and this means you can go scuba diving and snorkeling with it.

IV. TIME & MOON GRAPH DISPLAY

The Casio G-Shock Rescue Red G7900A-4 features a circular moon graph on the top left of the display. The moon phase indicator indicates the current phases of the moon as viewed at noon from a position in the Northern Hemisphere looking south. The watch performs a rough calculation of the current moon age from day 0 of the moon age cycle and the margin of error of the displayed moon age is +/- 1 day.

The tide graph has six graphic segments, each of which indicates tide level. The tide graph displayed on the watch is based on the current moon age. The greater the error in a particular moon age, the greater the error in the resulting tide graph.

IV. OVERALL

I absolutely love this watch! It scores high on style (looks great if you wear a lot of black or darker clothing), high on comfort and the display, is stylishly cool, especially if you are looking for a larger tide display on a chunkier watch. The functions are awesome and you really get a lot for your money for the 7900 (I paid $64.99 during the holidaysfor the Rescue Red but they typically sell for under $90) and you can often find various versions on sale on Amazon by Amazon or third party fulfilled by Amazon as well.

It's important to note that some people have received their G7900's in the tin G-Shock cases, I did not. Mine came in a black standard G-Shock cardboard box. The manual as usual with Casio G-Shock releases are quite thick, especially for this watch.

There is really nothing negative that can be said about this watch. It's simple to set (if you are used to G-Shocks), otherwise you get a nice thick manual in various languages to peruse. The watch looks great, it is comfortable and Casio went all out in making sure that those who care about moon and tide displays get a cool watch. Also, the fact that you get the guards on the base of the straps is a plus. I have to say that while the Gulfman was created for the sea and has a pretty cool tide display, I prefer the Rescue Red over the Casio Gulfman in terms of aesthetics and also, it's a 20 bar watch, so you can go deep sea diving with it.

I do recommend purchasing Vinylex Quick Wipes (or spray) to keep your G-Shocks protected (since Resin does tend to harden or crack if not cared for).

But in the end, I have to give the Casio G-Shock Rescue Red G7900A-4 a pretty solid rating. For those looking for a red G-Shock, this is the best out there in my opinion. It's not too flash, it's stylish and cool. But most importantly, it has a lot of the features that make it a pretty awesome G-Shock.

Highly recommended for you!

Jewelry | Just beautiful

This is way more than I expected. This is absolutely beautiful. I have looked at several in stores and on line and this one is the best. I highly recommend. Arrived quickly and in a very nice box. So, I was drunkenly purchasing items on Amazon and thought that my girlfriend would like the different shapes of the piece. She loves it and it costs way less than any of the other pieces of jewelry I have bought in the past.

Skin Care & Hair Care | Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

I wanted to try out this product for the "skin/hair care" side of it, though this product is "pure" enough that a little in my soup or skillet creates a nice nutty aroma and mild taste - really good in this coconut curry soup I eat.

That said, I brought the jar into my bathroom to keep it there instead of for cooking (I'll purchase another one for the kitchen). The one negative I have with this product for skin is that it's so thick and hard, I really have to dig in there to get a bit; however, once it's in the palm of my hand, the warmth of my skin melts it quite quickly. It can feel a little heavy and greasy at first, and the scent of coconut makes me think of cooking and not "beauty product;" but I mixed it with a little of my regular hand/body lotion and that was the ticket - it smoothed on my skin quite nicely and created a kind of "sheen" like those starlets have on their skin as they walk the red carpet with an insipid grin. Mixing it toned down the coconut scent, too.

I did smooth it on my face, straight, and it did absorb quickly, and the scent of coconuts wasn't so strong after a few minutes. I have slightly sensitive skin with a little rosacea and the product didn't break me out or irritate my skin.

But! The best "beauty" use I had from this product that SOLD me, is what it did to my hair! One morning I smoothed the coconut oil on my hair, paying particular attention to the ends. I threw my hair up in a ponytail and left the coconut oil in for at least an hour and a half. I rinsed it out with very warm water and then I shampooed twice. When I stepped out of the shower, I realized I was going to be late for an appointment. I quickly combed my hair, dressed, jumped into my car, and let the opened windows dry my hair, every so often shaking it out and combing through with my fingers -- I couldn't believe it! by time I reached my appt 35 minutes away, my hair was soft and smooth - even with the wind hitting it - no blow-dryer - no brushing it out - when I returned from the appt - again the windows open blowing my hair all over creation, I brushed my hair and it was so soft and shiny and smooth. That sold me -- if I don't use this product for anything else, it's worth it for how it made my hair look and feel!

UPDATE! - I bought another container of this to use in the kitchen - omg! If you saute shrimp in it, you not only have the aroma of coconut, but the shrimp taste incredible! I also fry or scramble eggs with it - mmmmmm - this stuff is amazing.