Reviews by Risikio

Risikio says "Refer-a-friend bonus is a scam" about DIRECTV

Risikio — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:05:39 GMT

DirecTV advertises that if you refer-a-friend, both you and your friend receive a $50 credit on your bill. This is paid at $10/month for 5 months. All the friend has to do is give your account number at the installation and in 4-6 weeks, you will receive your credit.

This is a scam for DirecTV to gain more customers. They do not pay the bonus as promised. I have referred two friends following the instructions explicitly and have yet to see my credit some four months later.

My friend called DirecTV at two months to inquire into the credit and they claimed they knew nothing of him being referred by me. About that time, I referred a second friend thinking it would just be a simple matter to clear up. My second referral has now had DirecTV for two months and neither of us have received our credit as well. I called this evening and customer serrvice said they had no record of my referral for either friend. I am canceling my DirecTV when my committment is up in a month and switching...

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Risikio says "A Must Try!" about Rocknes - Streetsboro, OH

Risikio — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:39:20 GMT

We ate here after passing the restaurant and decided to stop in. Are we glad we did. It was the best meal of the weekend and all we had were salads. I had the spinach bacon salad which had almonds, goat cheese, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, red onions, and bacon on a bed of fresh baby spinach. The salad was topped off with a warm bacon dressing and served with pita bread.

My wife's salad was a steak salad. It had classic iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, and other vegetables with a full steak sliced and laid on top.

The decor was nice and inviting and the service was excellent. With tip, we were in and out for around $25.

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Risikio says "Best Hotel Stay in a Long Time" about Hampton Inn and Suites - Streetsboro, OH

Risikio — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:29:39 GMT

We stayed here while attending a local conference because the conference set up the hotel arrangements. The hotel is very nicely decorated with a large relaxing and comfortable lounge area. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. Suites come with a refrigerator, stove, microwave oven and some dishes. The breakfast lounge area was very large and open. Breakfast was free and consisted of french toast sticks, smoked sausage, bagels, oatmeal, cold cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, coffee cake, coffee, juice, & milk.

The most impressive thing about this hotel however, was the staff. They make the phase "our people make the difference" a hard fact. The staff was very accomodating in providing information on the surrounding area and directions on how to get places. They gave good recommendations on things to see and do and places to eat.

Because our son got sick, we were forced to check out before our scheduled departure. We were passed the checkout time for the first day,...

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Risikio says "Not worth the price" about Tavern at Twin Lakes - Kent, OH

Risikio — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:57:24 GMT

We were traveling for business and the hotel recommended this restaurant, so we thought we would check it out. It was not worth the price, although had the food been good, the price was not out of the ordinary. It simply failed to meet our expectations, especially after hearing the hotel staff's recommendation.

We had the following:

Drinks: Sodas and water. My wife had a diet root beer which was apparently brewed by the restaurant itself. She stated that it tasted watery as compared to most other root beers.

Appetizer: Fried Clam Strips. About half the clam strips were rubbery and overcooked. The batter used on the clam strips was too heavy and IMHO, this contributed to the overcooking. Several of the clam strips were browned a little too much

Entrees: I had the Fish Sandwich Du Jour and my wife had the Tavern Gourmet Burger. She had not complaints with her burger or salad, however, my salad had a single tomato that was extremely small. It was wrinkled like a raisin...

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Risikio says "Budget Conscious Haven" about Sleep Inn Salisbury - Salisbury, MD

Risikio — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:58:40 GMT

The Sleep Inn Salisbury is fairly new. It is close to US Route 13 and US Route 50. While the hotel is fairly new, it does not have a lot to offer. The entire area where the hotel is located is fairly new and so a lot of amenities have not had had a chance to move in. There is a Denny's right next door and a gas station, but otherwise, you can expect to drive for someplace to eat.

Because the area is new, it is still relatively quiet. The rooms however have already begun showing signs of age. The carpet in my room had a large white stain on it.

Because the hotel is design for the budget traveler, you shouldn't expect a lot. The bathroom came only with a shower and not a full tub. The TV was also simply perched on top of the dresser and did not have it's own cabinet like some of the other hotels that are maybe one step higher.

Overall, the room was comfortable. A free breakfast, free wireless internet and a place to crash was all I really needed for this trip. This...

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Risikio says "Nice place for a relaxing stay" about Holiday Inn PATRIOT - WILLIAMSBURG - Williamsburg, VA

Risikio — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:33:30 GMT

On this trip to Williamsburg, I was travelling alone and decided to stay at the Holiday Inn Patriot because it was inexpensive and convenient for what I needed. The hotel staff was very pleasant and friendly. The accomodated me very nicely and handled my one complaint with sincere apology.

When I checked into my room, I found that a couple of doors down the guests had a dog (the hotel is pet friendly). Normally, this would not bother me, but the dog barked constantly and I was afraid I would not get any sleep after traveling almost 9 hours to get here. The owner's apparently could not control the dog. I asked to be moved to a different room, and the front desk obliged without hestitation. I understood from the front desk that the dog's owners were not even in the hotel.

My replacement room had a few minor issues, but not enough to say anything else about. The one lamp didn't work at all and one of the outlets was coming out of the wall. I was only there for the night and...

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Risikio says "Great little place for Pizza" about Lombardi's - Salisbury, MD

Risikio — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:22:39 GMT

Lombardi's is a simple Italian restaurant / pizzeria that won't break the bank. They are family owned and have extremely friendly service. I ate here while traveling to Salisbury, MD and really enjoyed my dinner. It was a quiet place with a really pleasant atmosphere.

Lombardi's offers several styles of pizza and accepts special requests when you order one of their specialties. They have some very unique flavors including a peanut butter and jelly pizza that they claim is like eating PB & J on toast. Their crust is thin, but like a thick cracker. I had their white pizza and added tomatoes to make it more like a margherita pizza.

Lombardi's didn't get five stars from me because the salad I ordered with my meal was kind of plain and the lettuce was beginning to show signs of browning. Not enough to say the lettuce was bad, but maybe just past its prime. Otherwise, I would recommend this restaurant without reservation.

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Risikio says "Nice place for an inexpensive but relaxing dinner" about The Library - Williamsburg, VA

Risikio — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:09:13 GMT

I have eaten at The Library twice while traveling to Williamsburg, VA. It is a nice local place with good food and good service. It is not too expensive and they offer some really cool pizzas. I especially love their white pizzas.

It is really hard to describe what type of place The Library is. It is sort of a pizzeria, sort of a sports bar, sort of a diner, sort of a pub, but never really any of these. It is great for families, but also a great place to just hang out with friends (at least that is what I gathered from the people there). You also get the feel that William & Mary students might study there as well. Kind of unique.

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Risikio says "Price is right, Service good, but Cars are Crap" about Dollar Rent A Car

Risikio — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:49:46 GMT

I have rented from Dollar a couple of times, mostly because of price. I have been very happy with the price of their rentals and their customer service is usually very good. In fact, on my most recent rental, I accidently left my garage door opener in the car after returning it. I called the next morning and reported the lost item and they tracked it down for me.

My main issue with Dollar is that every time I rent from them, I get a car that is damaged. It is still driveable, but when you don't take out the insurance, it can be an issue. You don't want them charging you for the damage and at the location I rent from (Pittsburgh) they don't always mark the existing damage on the rental because you pick up the paperwork at the counter inside the airport and then retrieve your car.

This last rental, I had to return the car and exchange it because of the damage. It had three chips in the windshield and one was starting to spider - right in the line of sight. As previously...

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Risikio says "Dumbest Movie Since Oh Brother Where Art Thou!" about Burn After Reading (2008)

Risikio — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:06:00 GMT

When you read the DVD case of Burn After Reading, this movie sounds great. It has an original plot and a great cast of George Clooney, Brad Pitt and John Malkovich, but the execution of the story was poorly done. The movie is billed as a comedy, but neither I nor my wife laughed once while watching this movie. Clooney's character's paranoia isn't funny and Brad Pitt's character's bizarre and goofy antics are distracting. Clooney's performance is the second worst of his career, behind Oh Brother Where Art Thou, while Pitt's performance ranks as his all-time worst.

The movie would be better titled Burn Before Viewing. I feel really sorry for those who spent good money in the theaters to see this film. We waited until it came out on DVD and rented it using a coupon for a free rental. The movie still wasn't worth the money spent on it - AND IT WAS FREE!

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Risikio says "Keep Family Up To Date Instantly" about About My Baby

Risikio — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:32:31 GMT

About My Baby is an online scrapbook community for sharing pictures, videos and stories of your little one's growth with family and friends. If you live far away from family, this can be the next best thing to watching a baby or infant grow. Family can catch all those "firsts" without actually being there and your scrapbook can be password protected to prevent unknown websurfers from viewing it.

The site is easy to setup and use. Has many built in templates, so the user doesn't need to know HTML coding. You can add baby growth counters from www.lilypie.com as well as other little gadgets. Wonderful site for parents to preserve memories.

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Risikio says "Stay in Touch w/Your Friends" about Blogger

Risikio — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:07:42 GMT

Blogger (www.blogspot.com) is an easy way to keep in touch with all your friends. Account setup is free and the website offers free templates, so you don't even have to know HTML coding. Use it as a diary, online journal, or a place for you and your friends to share you thoughts and ideas. Excellent Way to stay in touch.

An example of some of the blogs on Blogger

http://department56.blogspot.com - Blog for collectors of Department 56 Christmas Villages

http://tubetalk.blogspot.com - Blog with the scoop on all the TV shows from each network

http://allthingshistorical.blogspot.com - Blog for history buffs (reviewer owned blog)

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Risikio says "Better off with a map!" about Garmin - Nuvi 205

Risikio — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:44:53 GMT

Not really sure why I purchased this or what I expected, I have an excellent ability to find my way around almost any city, even if I have never been there before. That being said, for some reason, I felt the need to purchase a GPS and boy was I disappointed. Everyone recommended the Garmin as having the best maps and directions, so I purchased the nuvi 205W because it happened to be affordable and on sale. I understood when I purchased it that it was a lower model, but for $250 you still expect it to work.

I first began having trouble when I took a trip to Williamsburg, VA. I needed to find the nearest gas station, so I used the GPS which said the nearest one was 6.7 miles. I pressed go and after following the directions for almost 20 miles, I finally came upon a gas station, but not the one I had selected. I realized at that point that the mileage is based on the old saying "straight as the crow flies". Since the roads don't go straight from point A to point B, the mileage...

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Risikio says "A Definite Must!" about The Lady and Sons - Savannah, GA

Risikio — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:18:36 GMT

Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady and Sons, is a dining experience you won't forget. Reservations are accepted IN PERSON ONLY. The restaurant is housed in an old historic multi-story building with simple, but appealing decor. The dining area is tight, and because of the open air ceilings (at least on the third floor) the noise level can be a bit distracting. One soon forgets these two minor issues when they bite into Paula's fried chicken. The buffet is $14.95 for lunch and $17.95 for dinner. It is always fresh and varies somewhat from day to day, but consistently has all the southern favorites - collard greens, black-eyed peas, creamed corn, fried chicken, sweet potatoes. Dessert is inlcuded, but served individually by the waiter or waitress. The banana pudding is a must have. Paula uses cream cheese in her banana pudding.

If you are lucky you might see Paula, Bobby or Jamie. When we went, Bobby and Jamie were signing autographs in the gift shop.

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Risikio says "Political atmosphere. Connected? Earn your degree w/o classes" about West Virginia University

Risikio — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:46:59 GMT

I am a senior at WVU and I currently have a 4.0 GPA, however, I must say that I am only going to WVU because it is affordable and the nearest school for a married non-traditional student. WVU offeres many advantages, like on-line classes, but overall, I have been disappointed with the politics of the whole school. With the recent EMBA scandal involving the governor's daughter, I am concerned that my degree will not be viewed highly when I apply to graduate school. Additionally, the school is not geared towards non-traditional students. The professors are generally nice toward me as an adult student, but the administration could basically care less. They charge full semester fees for part-time students (Fairmont State University 20 miles away pro-rates fees based on # of hours).

The University is basically an extension of the State political scene and West Virginia politics is nothing more than a "good 'ol boys" club. I wish I could have talked my wife into moving, but she...

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Risikio says "We Try Harder - not to please" about Avis

Risikio — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:31:45 GMT

I reserved a van through Avis for our family trip in October 2008. I had only one request. That I did not receive a specific car. Unlike people who request a specific car, I was asking for anything but a particular model. I'm not really picky, but the Chevy Uplander offered by Avis is the most worthless mini van ever manufacturered. I know because I had rented one through Avis on our previous trip. Hence, I did not want another one. (The van was not user friendly - power outlets for charging cell phone were out of reach, cup holders were oddly placed, and other general design flaws). Avis responded to my request stating that they could not guarantee I would not receive my request. I understood, so I booked a van through another company that does not offer GM products. Once the new vehicle was booked through another company, I tried to cancel this reservation. The button to modify or cancel did not work. I could not cancel my reservation. I submited an...

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Risikio says "How love is defined" about The Notebook

Risikio — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:18:47 GMT

Sparks has a special way of combining laughter and tears. He tugs at your heart until you feel the emotions of his characters. Superbly written. After reading this book, you will no longer be unable to define what love is....

Risikio says "Presents the best of science, history and the world. " about Smithsonian Magazine

Risikio — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:11:58 GMT

Something for everyone. Science, history and the rest of the natural world presented in an interesting and easy to understand format, yet retains its academic and intellectual standing....

Risikio says "Worth it if you have a free rental with nothing else to watch" about Enchanted

Risikio — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:06:09 GMT

Weak, boring storyline. Fell alseep before the movie was a third of the way over. Weak acting. Cheesy opening.

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Risikio says "Satellite TV Rules" about Comcast - Cable Company

Risikio — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:57:16 GMT

Started having problems when Comcast took over for the now defunct Adelphia Cable. Raised prices immediately after taking over for Adelphia. Picture quality deteriorated. Called to upgrade to digital think that was the issue with the picture quality. Comcast set the appointment for 2 - 5pm. At 7:30pm, I called having not seen or heard from anyone and having taken half a day off work to meet them. Customer service said they were sorry but the tech never picked up the order. They offered to send someone out immediately, but by then it was getting dark and I didn't want someone in the house that late. I told them they obviously didn't want my business, but that I was sure Direct TV would. I cancelled my service the next week after having Direct TV installed. I have had nothing but good luck with my satellite, even in very bad weather!...