http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/DianeAndCharlie Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:22:35 GMT Reviews by DianeAndCharlie http://www.viewpoints.com/Earth-Shoes-Intrigue-Mary-Jane-review-92d8 I wore Kalso Earth Shoes in the '70s and hadn't thought about them for many years, until I bought a pair last year.  I remembered how much easier it was to STAND UP STRAIGHT when I was wearing them.  And sure enough, just as it was 30 years ago, it's still a great concept and is even better in practice.  I now own 6 pairs of Earth Shoes (there are a couple outlet sellers where you can find them as cheap as $19.99 new -- yes, you read right!), including these Mary Janes which I totally love.  My back thanks me and my feet thank me. — — The toe boxes tend to be fairly wide, so these shoes do not look "dainty" on your feet, but they are so comfortable, and very attractively made, that I think most folks will get used to what they look like fairly quickly.  Your spine and feet will thank you if you switch to them... just be careful, you might never want to wear anything else!  —... Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:22:35 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Earth-Shoes-Intrigue-Mary-Jane-review-92d8 DianeAndCharlie 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Oxo-20081-Swivel-Peeler-review-76c03 This is, quite simply, the best peeler ever made.  :-)  I've been a cook for a long time, and my experience with peelers goes back to the old rickety thin metal ones, through various ergonomic versions, and stopped right here at the OXO peeler.  The grip is rubber, but just perfect in flexibility and "give". The business end of the peeler is sharp, reliable, and large enough to get the job done without a care.  My repetitive stress problems have made other peelers useless for me; the OXO works and doesn't bother my arm, wrist, or hand.  I've given these as gifts and highly recommend... Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:16:19 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Oxo-20081-Swivel-Peeler-review-76c03 DianeAndCharlie 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Oxo-8-5-in-Black-Handled-Jar-Opener-review-ba36 I love OXO products and own many of them.  I bought this to help with my aging hands and the difficulties I have been having getting jars opened.  Unfortunately, it has not worked as I'd hoped.  I find it slips frequently, and jamming it onto the lid to get it to catch in the first place is a hit-or-miss proposition.  When it works -- when everything gets lined up and it catches without slipping -- it's excellent.  But it slips often enough that I just don't rely on it as I'd hoped to be able to.  Mixed... Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:10:33 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Oxo-8-5-in-Black-Handled-Jar-Opener-review-ba36 DianeAndCharlie 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Circulon-80351-review-06ae2 I totally love this Circulon Toss and Turn pan, so much so that I bought a second one. The slope of the high walls allows me to toss a stir-fry or even cook a sauce without making a mess. The handle is comfortable to use, and never heats up.  And the total non-stick feature of the metal means a super-easy clean-up. The circular design on the bottom makes Circulon pans heat up much faster than my other pots and pans, so I've become a real fan. — — A great pan, I use it almost daily. — — —... Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:05:25 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Circulon-80351-review-06ae2 DianeAndCharlie 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Palm-Treo-700p-Cell-Phone-review-76400 I've been growing along with Palm devices, having used them for many years now. When I finally got my hands on the 700p, I knew Palm had starting to actually realize the potential of these multi-function devices.  While I still have trouble from time to time with the keyboard, and am just slightly fearful of upgrades (yikes! my life is in this thing, what if I have to restore from a backup?!), I do not have the freeze-up problems that others report.  The integration of the various functions here (calendar, contact list, phone, web, camera) are well thought out and make this a device I never want to be... Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:49:15 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Palm-Treo-700p-Cell-Phone-review-76400 DianeAndCharlie 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Hilton-Garden-Inn-Pensacola-Beach-Pensacola-Beach-FL-review-44b8 This hotel is now called "Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front". — — I stayed here for several nights in Oct. / Nov. 2007, while attending a reunion of my father's World War II veterans. The hotel staff was fantastic, helping us get everything set up and run smoothly. The hotel is beautiful, the rooms are spacious and gracious, the fitness center is remarkably well appointed, the pools are gorgeous, the food at H2O is excellent, and the $6.95 "continental breakfast" is astounding: it's a vast buffet with everything except the eggs and hot meats (it includes fruit, breads, yogurt, cereals, cold meats and cheeses (European style), and even make-your-own waffles... and huge glasses of fresh juice). One of the best deals ever. — — On the negative side, Housekeeping forgot to make up my room once and was less than comprehensive another day (did not replace dirty glasses, left melted ice in the ice bucket, did not dump one trashcan). And the directions on the... Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:00:35 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Hilton-Garden-Inn-Pensacola-Beach-Pensacola-Beach-FL-review-44b8 DianeAndCharlie 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Toyota-Prius-2004-review-3c14 There's little to say about the 2004 Prius that hasn't already been said.  While the gas mileage is surely a plus, for me an even bigger plus is the almost-zero emissions this car puts out.  The fact that it's surprisingly roomy cannot be stressed enough: my family includes males of height 6'4", 6'6", and 6'9", and all four of us can fit comfortably into the Prius with legroom to spare.  We've put lots of luggage, bicycles, a drum kit, and furniture in the car to move, and it's performed flawlessly: the trunk space is quite roomy.  It has a fantastic turning radius, and once you've gotten used to sitting at a traffic light without the engine idling, it will be hard to go back to a gasoline-only engine again. — — There are a few blind spots to get used to before backing up, and the beeping in reverse is a little annoying, but the beeping can be silenced and you get used to the need to look twice to get past the blind spots.  Small price to pay for... Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:52:04 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Toyota-Prius-2004-review-3c14 DianeAndCharlie 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Ruby-Foos-NYC-NY-review-7fc4 We stumbled into Ruby Foo's north of Times Square after walking out on a horrible Broadway play at intermission: we decided to treat ourselves to dinner instead.  And we were happy we did!  Ruby Foo's features dim sum and sushi in various combos or individually, as well as other noodle and stir-fried dishes.  You can choose your own combination, but everything is brought with the hope that diners will share; a set of serving spoons and utensils is brought to each table to facilitate that.  We started with a scallion pancake, which was delicious except oddly enough the scallions were sprinkled on top and not cooked into the pancake, so they kept falling off.  It was served with three sauces -- it seems as if every dish comes with a little tray of three different sauces, and there was not a single one we disliked!  They were innovative and tasty and complemented the food very well.  My companion had a dim sum sampler, with two each of four different... Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:43:47 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Ruby-Foos-NYC-NY-review-7fc4 DianeAndCharlie 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Le-Madeleine-NYC-NY-review-cc9f0 We had a marvelous experience at Le Madeleine this past week.  We visited on a Mon. evening when the later dinner hours were complemented by a live jazz guitarist who was excellent (Gene Bertoncini).  I started with the heirloom tomato salad with greens and mozzarella, which was just perfect, and my companion had the soft-shell crab appetizer.  He decided to try the skate as his entree, having never had it before, and was pleasantly surprised.  The sauce was tart yet appropriate, and the texture of the skate was flaky and moist.  As my entree, I had what I believe are the best sauteed day boat scallops I've ever had.  They were presented with a simple fresh corn coulis, in a light sauce that tasted of sweet corn, tarragon, parsley, and chives, and was heavenly. Their caramel mocha mousse was a perfect dessert, and I need to put in a plug for their lemondrop martinis, too! — — The setting is small and intimate, but it was very comfortable to... Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:30:01 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Le-Madeleine-NYC-NY-review-cc9f0 DianeAndCharlie 5