Souldier recycled seatbelt guitar strap review

I received this because someone else hated it.

Yes, really.

A little while ago I put up my donations page, and a reader, Paul, emailed me and said he wanted to donate but in the form of a thing and not money. The end result was him sending to me what you see above, the Souldier recycled seatbelt guitar strap. Thanks to Paul for sending this out to me.

Paul figured it was better to send the strap my way rather than donate it to Goodwill. Yes, he hated the strap that much.

Do I hate the strap? No. But I won't say I'm in love with it either, and I think I know why Paul didn't take to the strap very well.

The thing about seatbelt material is that while very strong and will last basically forever, there are a few things about it some don't like.

First, it's "slippery" when wearing it over a shirt, as it's supposed to be. Seatbelt material doesn't "grab" at all.

Second, you absolutely cannot wear this strap shirtless. I personally don't do that, but if I did, I would not use this material. Sweat + seatbelt strap = not a good combination.

Third, the thinness of the strap may cause discomfort on the shoulder because this has zero padding to it.

With all that out of the way, now that I actually have one of these straps, here's my review:

• Yes, it is absolutely real-deal seatbelt lasts-forever material, no question about it.
• Looks nice, definitely upscale.
• Easy to clean (but do not put in a washer, hand-clean only.)
• Not good for heavy guitars. Lightweight instruments only.
• The ultimate for those that like a strap that slides real easy.
• The worst for those who want a strap with padding as this has none.

To note, this strap is very well-made. The construction of the strap is very, very good. And I will say again that this is an upscale strap. You are getting what you pay for with it...

...but you just have to be aware that yes, this is made out of seatbelt material. Works for some players and not for others.

You can consider this the same as with some upscale guitar picks. Some players really like paying extra for picks made from ultem (arguably the best tortoise shell-like pick material). But you have to like picks like that. If you don't, stick with the cheap celluloid picks.

Guitar of the week #51 - ESP LTD TE-200 (and others) Guitar Kit

This is what a guitar kit should be.

Most guitar kits are only for beginner guitar players...

...but not this one. You get a really good guitar with tuner, cable, strings, picks, strap and a hardshell case. Not a gig bag. An actual hardshell.

The price? Fair for what it is. It's cheaper than a Fender Standard Stratocaster that comes with next to nothing!

LTD has really stepped up their game with these offerings. I'd hazard to say that they are the best guitar kits you can buy right now where you truly get what you pay for.

Soylent Green movie review (is the story plausible today?)

I finally got the chance to watch this.

Soylent Green is a movie made before I was even born, so I could not have watched this when it was first released, obviously.

The first time I even heard the phrase "solylent green" was on Saturday Night Live. It was a skit where Phil Hartman would just run in periodically and yell out the catch phrase the movie is known for. I can't say the phrase here because it would spoil the movie if you've not seen it. The guy did a damned good Charlton Heston impersonation.

Now oddly enough, soylent does exist for real. It's meant to be a meal replacement and can be had in liquid or powder form to make the liquid. I find this to be disturbing to say the least.

The opening scene of the movie has this text on screen:

THE YEAR: 2022

THE PLACE: NEW YORK CITY

THE POPULATION: 40,000,000

At the time I write this, 2022 is - get ready for this - just 6 years away.

You will be happy to know that NYC's population is nowhere near 40 million. And I seriously doubt the population would spike up that high in just 6 years.

Does the movie hold up today?

No. It looks and feels old. Remember, this is pre-Star Wars science fiction, a time when sci-fi movies were just bad. As in Logan's Run bad.

But let's forget all that for a moment.

Is the story, or at least the story told in the movie, plausible?

I don't think so.

The film is, rather loosely, based off the 1966 book Make Room! Make Room!, and because of that you really can't say, "The book is better than the movie" since the film really doesn't follow the book story.

In other words, Soylent Green is its own story as a standalone film.

My take on the flick is that the story is about the damning effects of overpopulation. But I don't think the way the story was told really works.

I simply can't buy the idea that NYC would be able to operate with 40 million residents in it. To think that many people could be crammed inside 469 square miles is just something I cannot wrap my mind around.

If you watch this movie (or watch it again), ask yourself this question: How in the hell could New York City staff or even afford a police force capable of handling 40 million residents? How would that even be possible? That's the kind of stuff going through my head while watching Soylent Green. It's like a big FORTY MILLION PEOPLE is flashing like a loud neon sign in my mind during the whole movie, and I just can't forget it long enough to enjoy what's going on.

The way the film explains how NYC can operate with that many people is that everything has been cut down to the bare minimum of what humans need to survive. Since the population is so high, food supply is affected negatively, so the solution is to have one big-ass corporation, Soylent, produce a food-like substance that everyone can afford, even if just barely. Other things like water are in short supply, as are simple things we take for granted such as soap and even forks and knives.

While the movie is a fun watch for what it is, the story isn't believable.

Did I like the movie? Actually, yes, I did just for the art of it. It has that gritty, milky '70s film look to it where some scenes are way too dark and others lit way too bright. The pacing is weird, the audio echoes too much in some spots and is compressed to hell in others. The whole movie is Old Hollywood and filled with the stuff they could get away with back then.

On a final note, if Soylent Green isn't your thing but you like a '70s cop thriller/drama movie, see Serpico. It was released the same year, 1973. It's not sci-fi at all, but wow, what a movie. Same gritty look, but way better story that keeps you in the pocket from beginning until end.

Casio A158, the "steel" version of the F-91W

I figured I'd give a dedicated article to this since it's currently my daily wearer.

The Casio A158 is functionally identical to the F-91W in every way. Why did I buy it? I wanted a "steel" version of the F-91W.

Now while true the A168 with its electroluminescent backlight is far superior to the wimpy green backlight of the A158, the A168's styling doesn't agree with me. That, and I wanted a copy of the F-91W in a more steely/shiny form, and the A158 is it.

Does the A158 keep time as good as the F-91W? No, but most people wouldn't notice it. I only notice it because.. well.. I just do. The A158 loses a few seconds a week. Not a big deal. Sync it once a week or once a month and you're good to go.

Currently, yes, the A158 is my daily wearer. I was wearing the F-91W as my daily, but the A158 just grew on me. The more I wore it, the more I didn't wear the F-91W until the point came where I just wear the A158 every day now.

Why?

Two reasons.

First is the fact that the A158 just looks better. Having something shiny on the wrist just looks better than flat black.

Second is the metal bracelet.

With watches, you have choices of what material and style the band is. A metal bracelet is something that is just really comfortable. The Casio A158 in particular has a very thin metal band that just has a nice feel to it.

The A158 does not suit big-wristed people. Not at all. Since I have small wrists, the watch works really nice for me. I can wear it slightly loose and it's not really a bother. It doesn't weigh much, either. Granted, it's not nearly as light as the F-91W, but it is still light regardless.

There's really nothing I can review about the A158 because like I said, it's functionally identical to the F-91W. If you know that watch, you know this one.

Basically, if you know and love the F-91W, grab an A158. Or if you want something with a better backlight, the A168 - but pay attention to the styling. As noted above, the A168 styling doesn't agree with me, but you might like it.

Guitar of the week #50 - ESP E-II Eclipse

This is what happens when a guitar company does a Les Paul copy correctly but at the same time makes it their own.

The ESP E-II Eclipse has pretty much has everything a Gibson Les Paul does and is a real-deal Japan import. This is not an LTD brand guitar. This is a true made-in-Japan ESP, and the price tag reflects that.

So what do you get for the cash you put down for this axe? Extra jumbo fret wire, a thin U-shape neck (with set-neck construction), Gotoh locking tuners, Gotoh bridge and tailpiece a pair of Seymour Duncan pickups (SH-1 and SH-4)... but all those goodies don't accurately describe what playing a real ESP is like.

If I were to pick one word to describe a real-deal ESP from Japan, it would be solid. Japan just knows how to build an electric very well. The E-II Eclipse will exhibit absolutely none of the typical problems a Gibson Les Paul would. The Eclipse is built to last, and moreover built to be played. This is not a guitar that's meant to sit in a case and stay pretty forever. Rather, it's meant to be played day after day, night after night and keep coming back for more.

In other words, this is one of the very few guitars with a high price tag where I can say yes, you are getting what you pay for. The Eclipse is a guitar you can depend on whether for studio or stage use or both.

In the end, if you have the money to spend on a high-end electric, you basically can't go wrong with a Japan-made ESP.