Reviews by JazzSinger

JazzSinger says "Sister Schubert, you make a mean roll." about Sister Schubert Dinner Yeast Rolls

JazzSinger — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:35:32 GMT

I live alone. I also love rolls. Living alone makes it difficult to buy fresh rolls, because they usually come in packages that contain more rolls than I can eat in one sitting. That's why I love to buy frozen rolls. Frozen rolls offer the convenience of preparing only as many rolls as you need at one time, thereby eliminating waste. I normally buy Pillsbury frozen rolls, but when I went shopping the other day, there were none. That's when I saw Sister Schubert's face smiling at me. I decided to give Sister Schubert's Dinner Yeast Rolls a try. I'm really glad I did.

I prefer Sister Schubert's Dinner Yeast Rolls to Pillsbury frozen rolls. They taste better, they're softer, and I prefer the packaging. The package for Sister Schubert's Dinner Yeast Rolls is resealable via a standard Ziplock-type closure. The packaging for Pillsbury frozen rolls uses a piece of tape to reseal the bag. Sister Schubert's Dinner Yeast Rolls heat up in about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. There...

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JazzSinger says "Don't expect anything fancy, but otherwise, it's fine." about Sleep Inn Maingate Six Flags - Arlington, TX

JazzSinger — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:37:54 GMT

Last weekend, I took a road trip to Arlington, TX to see a Texas Rangers game. While there, I stayed at the Sleep Inn Maingate Six Flags. As the name implies, and as a couple of my pictures show, the hotel is pretty much in the shadow of Six Flags. It's also about a mile from the Texas Rangers' stadium and just a bit farther from the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium.

When I arrived at the hotel, I was greeted by a very friendly staff. I can't begin to tell you how much that means to me. A friendly staff can make up for a lot of shortcomings.

When I got into my room, I found it to be a bit small. There was barely room for the chair on the side of the bed (see photo). The TV was also way too small. I'm not a good judge of such things, but I would say that was a 15" TV. Also, there is no bath tub in the room. There is only a shower, which is not a problem for me, but it might be for some people.

Another observation I made about my room was various marks on the walls, a stain...

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JazzSinger says "Electric Orange is ahead of its time." about ING Direct Electric Orange Checking

JazzSinger — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:11:03 GMT

If you read my review of Chase Bank, you'll know that I was recently in the market for a new checking account. My new checking account is Electric Orange, from ING Direct. Electric Orange is a unique and revolutionary kind of checking account in that it is totally on line.

Advantages of Electric Orange:

You get a Master Card debit card with free access to over 35,000 ATM's nationwide. There is a tool on the ING web site that allows you to search for ATM's near an address. There were over 100 within a 20 mile radius of my home.
The account earns interest. As of the time of this review, the interest rate is 0.24% for balances up to $49,999.
You can send money to people directly, so long as you have their bank information.
Free bill pay.
If you have an ING savings account, which I do, you can transfer money instantaneously between that account and Electric Orange.
No ridiculous fees. Instead of paying for overdrafts, you have an overdraft line of credit, which you pay interest...

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JazzSinger says "I have never felt less valued as a customer than with Chase." about JP Morgan Chase - Chicago, IL

JazzSinger — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:51:20 GMT

In August of 1995, I was an incoming freshman at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. At that time, Bank One, which later became Chase, had a branch on campus. I opened a checking account, and I kept that account until today. In the 14 years I had that checking account, I never bounced a check, was never overdrawn on the account, and never paid a penalty of any kind, until. . .

About a month ago, I deposited a check that was written to me. Several days later, I saw online that the check had bounced. I was upset at that moment, but I got even more upset a couple of days later when a "returned check" fee of $10 appeared on my account. Think about this for a minute; someone else made a mistake, and I had to pay for it. I decided to send an e-mail to customer service, and if that didn't work, I was going to go to my local branch and speak to them in person. Here is the e-mail I sent to customer service:

"I want to know why I was charged a service fee because of someone...

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JazzSinger says "Freshen up your washing machine with Washer Magic." about Summit Brands Washer Magic

JazzSinger — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:28:27 GMT

I have been having an issue lately with a bad smell coming from my washing machine. I stopped by Lowe's this morning looking for a product that might help the problem. What I found was Washer Magic.

According to the product label, Washer Magic cleans lime, rust and build-up, removes odor-causing residue, and maintains machine performance. The instructions are to pour the entire bottle into your washing machine and run it through a normal wash cycle using hot water.

I used Washer Magic exactly as called for by the instructions, and the result was that the smell coming from my washing machine was completely gone. Washer Magic worked exactly as advertised. The manufacturer suggests using Washer Magic once a month, but I think that might be a bit excessive. I will, however, buy the product again if I have any more issues with my washing machine or for occasional maintenance.

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JazzSinger says "Why click "next" when you have Page Zipper." about Page Zipper

JazzSinger — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:10:02 GMT

I'm a fan of msn.com. It's one of my home pages, and I can usually find some kind of interesting article to read. Sometimes, MSN has articles that consist of numerous slides. These articles usually require you to keep clicking to get to the next page. That's where Page Zipper comes in. Page Zipper automatically adds the subsequent pages of multi-page articles onto the bottom of the page you're looking at, keeping you from having to click to get to the next page.

To use Page Zipper, go to the Page Zipper web site (www.printwhatyoulike.com/pagezipper) and add the Page Zipper utility to your favorites using the instructions on the page. When you get to a page where you want to use Page Zipper, click on the Page Zipper link in your favorites. This activates the utility, and it does the rest. For those who use the Firefox browser, Page Zipper is available as a Firefox extension.

There are a few limitations to Page Zipper (according to the Page Zipper web site). It doesn't...

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JazzSinger says "Soylent Green is made with people!" about Wendy's Boneless Chicken Wings

JazzSinger — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:54:54 GMT

When thinking about writing this review, I couldn't help but think about the movie Soylent Green, where the innovative food product winds up being something different than you might have thought. Fortunately, to my knowledge, Wendy's Boneless Chicken Wings are NOT made with people. They are, however, chicken nuggets.

Basically, you get an order of Wendy's Boneless Chicken Wings by putting about 10 chicken nuggets in a tray, dousing them with sauce, putting a lid on the tray, and then shaking up the whole thing. You have a choice of three sauces: honey BBQ, buffalo, or sweet and spicy Asian.

The bottom line is that Wendy's Boneless Chicken Wings were pretty good. I had the BBQ, and I like the taste. There's just something disingenuous about calling pre-dipped chicken nuggets, wings. If you want to try them, go for it. You won't be disappointed by the taste. You'll just wonder what kind of chicken has a wing shaped like a nugget.

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JazzSinger says "Save money on your grocery bill with Alice.com." about Alice.com

JazzSinger — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:07:19 GMT

I first learned about Alice from Clark Howard's TV show. According to Clark, Alice was founded to encourage people to buy name brand grocery items. Evidently, in light of the current economic situation, people are buying more and more store brands to save money. The founders of Alice aim to change that, and they're doing an excellent job.

Okay, so what exactly is Alice? Alice is a way to buy groceries and household items from the comfort of your home. The prices are very good, and the shipping is always free on all orders (You will get your order in 2-3 business days from the time you place it). In addition, Alice finds any coupons available for products, shows them to you in the product listings, and automatically applies them when you purchase the product. Some examples of product categories available on Alice are: toothpaste, deodorant, paper towel, household cleaners, shampoo, breakfast bars, cereal, aspirin, coffee, crackers, laundry detergent, vitamins, and sunscreen....

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JazzSinger says "Get sound financial advice from Clark Howard." about Clark Howard

JazzSinger — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:15:24 GMT

Clark Howard is a financial guru who offers advice on how to make the most of your money and how to avoid getting scammed or cheated on financial matters. Clark has a syndicated radio show, a web site, and has written several books, but my experience with him comes from his TV show. It's on Headline News on the weekends (check your local listings).

When I was on my way home from my recent trip to Washington, DC, I was sitting in Reagan National Airport, and Clark's show happened to be on a nearby TV. I was listening to the show and thinking, "This guy's pretty interesting. I've got to start watching his show."

Clark's TV show features selected calls from his radio show. It also contains features designed to educate people on various financial issues. Clark talks a lot about mortgages, loans, and retirement savings, but he also gives a lot of advice that can save you money on your day-to-day living. For example, he once did a segment on the best items to buy in dollar stores...

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JazzSinger says "Make a soldier's day with AnySoldier.com." about AnySoldier.com

JazzSinger — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:55:44 GMT

I first learned about AnySoldier.com from JovialCougar's review. I was intrigued by the concept of the site, and I checked it out for myself. Well, I loved what I saw, and I have now become a contributor to this very worthy cause.

AnySoldier.com is a web site where soldiers from all branches of the military post their needs and wants on behalf of their units. People can then read through these postings, request the soldier's address, and support the troops by sending them the items they request. It's a really neat idea that allows you to support the troops directly.

The best way I have found to go about sending a package is to get a flat-rate Priority Mail box from the post office. There are boxes specifically for sending to military addresses, and the postage will only cost you $11.95, which is a great deal. Some post offices will have these available. Otherwise, you can order them online from the USPS. Either way, the boxes are free. I then head for my local Dollar...

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JazzSinger says "Great story of tragedy and football." about We Are Marshall

JazzSinger — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:42:51 GMT

On November 4, 1970, a chartered airplane carrying the Marshall University football team, the entire coaching staff except for one assistant coach, the university's athletic director, and many influential people from the town of Huntington, West Virginia crashed, killing everyone on board. We Are Marshall is the story of the rebuilding of the Marshall football team following that tragedy.

After the plane crash, Marshall is left with no athletic director, no head coach, and only four varsity players (Assistant Coach Red Dawson missed the flight for a recruiting trip, and the four players were left home for various reasons). The university originally decided to suspend the football program, but thanks to the efforts of senior player Nate Ruffin, the decision was ultimately made to continue with the football team.

The first step in rebuilding Marshall football was to hire a head coach, a task which fell to University President Donald Dedmon. Coach Dawson didn't want the job, and neither...

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JazzSinger says "Outstanding Camera for Everyday Use" about Kodak EasyShare C913 Digital Camera

JazzSinger — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:39:12 GMT

It's amazing how much the technology in digital cameras has advanced in the last 8-10 years, and it's amazing how much more you can get for your money now. I bought my first digital camera about 8 years ago. It cost $50, it had no external memory and no zoom, it could hold 32 pictures of "normal" quality and 16 pictures of "fine" quality, and I believe the resolution was 1-2 megapixels. The next digital camera I got cost over $200 (I think, it was a gift), it's resolution was 3.6 megapixels, it had a 2x zoom and it used memory sticks. I had external memory in the range of hundreds of megabytes. I bought the Kodak EasyShare C913 on sale for $80. It has a resolution of 9.2 megapixels and a 3x zoom. I bought a 2 gigabyte memory card to go with it for about $12. God, I love technology.

The Kodak EasyShare C913 comes with just about all that you would expect the typical digital camera to come with. It comes with a disk with a photo-managing program (EasyShare). I did...

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JazzSinger says "This cereal is rated PG-13." about Quaker Honey Graham Oh's

JazzSinger — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:33:23 GMT

I eat a lot of cereal. I have a few kinds that I prefer, but I'm definitely open to trying something different. When I was grocery shopping last week, I noticed Quaker Honey Graham Oh's. The box looked appealing, and at a price of $1.99 for a 12 oz. box, I figured it was worth a shot.

I tried the cereal for the first time today. It has a great taste. I tasted far more honey than graham, but that's fine. The problem I had was with the texture of the cereal. Crunchiness is typically considered an attribute when it comes to cereal, but this cereal is crunchy to a ridiculous extent. I ate two bowls, and the roof of my mouth is still sore hours later. I also noticed that the cereal only lost about 15% of it's crunchiness from the first bite to the last.

I am a very firm believer in the concept that there's such a thing as too much of a good thing. If I told you that this cereal starts out very crunchy and retains it's crunchiness after sitting in milk, you would think...

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JazzSinger says "One of the most lucrative survey sites I've tried." about Global Test Market

JazzSinger — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:34:03 GMT

There are a lot of online survey sites out there, and I've tried quite a few of them. Some give you points that you redeem for merchandise, some pay you directly for surveys, some give you the perpetually worthless entries into a drawing for cash. Global Test Market gives you points that you redeem for cash. The site allows you to redeem your points when you reach 1000, at a rate of $0.05 per point (1000 points = $50). Surveys vary in subject, length, and point value, but the great thing is that every survey you attempt is worth 5 points if you don't qualify. That may not seem like much, but you get a good bit of survey invitations, so those 5 point consolation prizes really add up.

I've been a member of Global Test Market since the beginning of 2006. In that time, I have redeemed 5172 points, including 1000 points I just redeemed a couple of days ago. That averages out to about 29 points per week and a $50 check about every 8 months. That's pretty good. $50 every 8...

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JazzSinger says "Take a tour of George Washington's estate." about Mount Vernon

JazzSinger — Sun, 31 May 2009 14:28:31 GMT

On my recent trip to Washington, DC, I followed some advice and visited Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate. Mount Vernon is a great look into the life and times of one of the most influential figures in American history.

When you visit Mount Vernon, you can take a tour of George Washington mansion. This is a guided tour. There is a different tour guide in each section of the home, and as groups move through, the tour guide will explain different aspects of that part of that particular section. Pictures are not allowed inside the mansion.

On the grounds of the estate, you can visit the tomb of George Washington and his family. You can go down to the edge of the Potomac River, which is a great view. You can see preserved aspects of George Washington's farm. On the grounds, there are gardens, animals, and people impersonating characters from George Washington's life. There is also an orientation center, featuring a movie about Washington crossing the Delaware. Lastly,...

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JazzSinger says "A little expensive, but what an atmosphere!" about ESPN Zone - Washington, DC

JazzSinger — Sat, 30 May 2009 01:06:40 GMT

In the months leading up to my trip to Washington, DC, I happened to read an article listing the 10 best sports bars in the country. The ESPN Zone in Washington was on that list, so I put it on my list of things to see while I was on vacation.

When I went up to the host and asked for a table, I was led to an area with 13 televisions: one giant screen television with 6 somewhat smaller televisions on either side of it. To the left of the televisions was a board with scores, statistics, and other information. Positioned in front of all of this were about 10 very large, very comfortable recliners. Each one of them had a table attached to it, and that table was on a swivel. That was, without a doubt, the most incredible atmosphere of any sports bar I have ever been to, or any place I have ever eaten, for that matter. Fortunately, since I got there right after it opened, I was able to sit in one of the recliners. I imagine it would be nearly impossible to get one of those seats...

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JazzSinger says "MapEasy maps are a must have for tourists." about MapEasy

JazzSinger — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:40:07 GMT

MapEasy is a web site that sells maps and guides to various destinations around the world. The various guides offer a host of information, from landmarks, to walking tours, to how to speak the native language. The site also sells cookbooks and a selection of gifts.

In the course of planning my trip to Washington, DC, I came across a web site that suggested that I buy a map from MapEasy. i checked out the MapEasy web site, and decided to buy the mini guide map of Washington. It only cost $9-$10 with the shipping, so I figured that I wasn't out much if the map wasn't good. Well, at first, they sent me the wrong map. I contacted customer service, and they sent me the correct map without asking that I send back the first map, so wound up with two maps for the price of one.

In addition to being a basic street map, my guide map includes the locations of every kind of tourist attraction, including some I bet a lot of people don't even know about. It shows the locations of mass...

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JazzSinger says "The absolute best choice for flying to DC" about Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)

JazzSinger — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:57:37 GMT

When I was planning my trip to Washington, DC, I got some conflicting advice as far as which airport to use. Two people, one who lives in the area and one who used to live in Baltimore, suggested that I use Dulles. My cousin, who is a frequent business traveller, suggested that I use National. He stressed the convenience of it. Since he and I generally think a lot alike, and I greatly value convenience, I chose National. Fortunately for me, I made the right choice.

Reagan National isn't all that big of an airport. If you've ever flown to New Orleans, it's comparable in terms of size and amount of traffic. The terminals aren't really long, so you don't have to walk a mile and a half to get to and from your plane. There aren't the number of shops and restaurants that the big hub airports have, but I wasn't there long enough to care.

I was thoroughly impressed by the convenience and efficiency of Reagan National. When I got off my plane there, I went to the baggage claim...

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JazzSinger says "Excellent pizza restaurant." about Piola - Arlington, VA

JazzSinger — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:33:21 GMT

On my recent trip to Washington, DC, I stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Arlington Rosslyn, which has a number restaurants nearby. One of those is an excellent pizza restaurant called Piola.

Piola is a true pizzaria. They have a very large selection of pizzas with some ingredients you won't find at Pizza Hut. One thing I noticed was that none of the pizzas had more than one type of meat, and a number of them had no meat at all, so no meat lovers pizza here. I had the quattro formaggi, which is Italian for "four cheeses". The four cheeses were mozzarella, parmesan, gorgonzola, and brie. I've never had gorgonzola or brie on a pizza, and it turned out to be very good.

I would definitely recommend that you visit Piola if you're in the neighborhood. The service was very good, and the pizza was great.

By the way, I wasn't trying to put down Pizza Hut in this review. I happen to really like Pizza Hut.

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JazzSinger says "America 101" about Washington, D.C.

JazzSinger — Mon, 25 May 2009 23:13:27 GMT

I just returned from a trip to Washington, DC, and I would have to say that overall, I had a very good time. I think the best way for me to write my review is to just list the pros and cons:

Pros:

It's a great place to learn about history and government. There is a tremendous amount of museums, monuments, and other tourist attractions devoted to that purpose.
Most of the aforementioned attractions are have free admission.
The city has an excellent mass transit system. The metro will take you to, or at least close to, just about anything you want to see. It's also an easy system to navigate. I learned how to get around very quickly.
The city, for the most part, is clean and safe. I've heard that there are some seedy areas away from the national mall, but what city doesn't have some kind of bad area? (The national mall, for those who don't know, is the area where the vast majority of the monuments, as well as the bulk of the Smithsonian, is located.)
Washington's Reagan...

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