http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/ellensewall Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:52:40 GMT Reviews by ellensewall http://www.viewpoints.com/Pet-African-Grey-review-aabd3 Having a medium to large parrot is like having a small child--they are considerably intelligent and social, they're feisty and noisy and get into trouble, they require a lot of attention--they genuinely NEED it for their well-being. They can also be very rewarding and delightful, for the right person who is able to meet their needs and deal with the quirks and difficulties of living with a wild animal. My Timneh African Grey Parrot, my companion of the past 18 years, is extremely dear to me. When people meet him they are often fascinated and intrigued about what it would be like to have a pet parrot. I encourage people that it is necessary to really EDUCATE THEMSELVES before even considering getting a bird, and consider seriously whether they AND THEIR FAMILY will be able to deal with the behavioral issues of a parrot, whether they are able to provide adequately for the socialization, dietary, health, and other needs of a parrot, and... Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:52:40 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Pet-African-Grey-review-aabd3 ellensewall 1 http://www.viewpoints.com/Lafeber-Nutriberries-review-7e785 Nutri-berries are theoretically nutritionally balanced, but I concur with other reviewers that they wouldn't be the best choice as a main diet. They're a good treat or an easy meal to give at times when I am in too much of a hurry to prepare fresh food. My Timneh grey always welcomes them. It's a relatively expensive food to give, and although almost the whole berry is "theoretically" edible, in practice my bird carefully picks out the safflower seeds, peanut pieces, and other favorite bits, and the rest tends to get dropped on the cage floor. Still, it's a fun food for him to eat and anything that has an entertainment factor is a plus. Nutr-berries come in plastic tubs in the "original" flavor and in poly bags in a variety of other appealing flavors such as "El paso" with spicy peppers, "tropical fruit," "garden veggie," "sunny orchard" with raisins etc. My bird seems to like them all. —... Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:07:45 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Lafeber-Nutriberries-review-7e785 ellensewall 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Ghirardelli-Double-Chocolate-Hot-chocolate-review-771d3 I wouldn't call this hot chocolate very refined, as Cadbury's more delicate "drinking chocolate" is, but it's really and truly chocolatey. You heat up milk (or soymilk, as I usually use), don't let it boil or you will scald it, and add a pretty liberal amount of powder which is basically high quality ground chocolate. Add a piece of candy cane, powdered cinnamon, or coffee flavor syrup if you like. I like to add a pinch of salt or it is like drinking a chocolate bar. Of course, maybe that is exactly what you want! This product could also be used in baking, Ghirardelli also sells a similar product, "ground chocolate and cocoa" specifically labeled for such. Ghirardelli is a good American chocolate company, their products are miles above Hershey or other weak (albeit loveable) impersonations of chocolate, and naturally their hot cocoa is more purely and aggressively chocolatey than, say, Swiss Miss. And of course it tastes better because... Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:55:45 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Ghirardelli-Double-Chocolate-Hot-chocolate-review-771d3 ellensewall 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Eureka-71AV-Bagless-Handheld-Vacuum-review-2bdb4 I bought one of these corded handheld vacuums via Amazon after seeing the very positive reviews there. The price was very reasonable--under $40. It turned out to be a good solution for me in my small efficiency apartment, where I don't have space for a large vacuum. It has a powered rotary brush (with its own separate motor), which means this thing does a surprisingly fine job on carpets, or you can use the hose to clean bare floors. The brush motor died after about a year of use of my first one, which was unfortunate but I still felt that the vacuum was a good deal, and ordered the same model again. It does come with a warranty but I didn't keep the papers. This is one of the most powerful handheld vacuums you can get, and if a model with a cord (rather than cordless/rechargeable) suits you okay, it's a good buy. The only other problem I managed to break the plastic support structure of the dust cup in my second vacuum, and should probably get a replacement, which are... Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:35:30 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Eureka-71AV-Bagless-Handheld-Vacuum-review-2bdb4 ellensewall 5