Reviews by Friends of Interested377

ChrisJarmick says "Trumbo,Poitier, Comedies, Cult & Holiday Movies highlight TCM" about Classic Movies, Best Turner Classic, South Africa Tales, Comedies, Cult Movies, Dalton Trumbo & Silent Ben Hur

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:15:56 GMT

TCm Thursday through Sunday has scheduled a wide and diverse program of films, including two Dalton Trumbo penned film and the silent Ben Hur on Sunday December 13th; Movies set in South Africa on Friday December 11th, and the fun Original and Sequel pairing of movies on Saturday Night the 12th.

There's also the strange and wonderful cult movie Performance and the strange Ingmar Bergman Film Personna late Friday Night.

On Thursday, December the 11, TCM gives us 4 crime drama, film noirs beginning at 11 a.m. on the West Coast. 1949's The Bribe stars Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Charles Laughton and Vincent Price in the dark Crime drama about a sultry singer who's up to no good as she attempts to lead a federal agent astray. At 12:45 p.m. PST its 1953's The Bigamist directed and starring Ida Lupino with Joan Fontaine, Edmund Gwenn and Edmond O'Brien. Then the classic D.O.A. from 1950 airs at 2:15 p.m. on the West Coast. It stars Edmond O'Brien as the victim who ingested...

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Jo says "Coco Coir Collections Mat is great for inside or outside." about William F. Kempf Cocomats Coco Coir Collections

Jo — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:49:12 GMT

I love mats. I have mats and rugs over the rugs in my house, which drives my daughter crazy when she comes home. I like to have a nice welcome mat in the front and in the back of my house.

I liked the way the Coco Collections Coir Rubber Mat looked. This particular one is in my house right at the entrance way. Some Coco Collections mats I have put outside. They do fade after awhile and since I live on the ocean the salt water does a number on everything. In general these are quite durable.

"Coir (From Malayalam kayar, cord) is a coarse fiber extracted from the fibrous outer shell of a coconut. (wikipedia)"

Amazon has a whole host of mats which you can see here: http://tinyurl.com/ykq5tb6.

My mat is really pretty with an attractive design. It is 18 inches by 30 inches which is the perfect size for an outside or inside door mat.

The back of the mat is made of rubber. The care instructions warn us to keep the mat out of direct sunlight so it won't fade but for around $7.00 I just replace...

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ChrisJarmick says "Bogart Classics, & Holiday Movies Highlight TCM schedule" about Best Classic Movie Turner Classic Movies More Bogart & Christmas Movie December 9 & 10 2009

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:35:35 GMT

TCM delivers another Humphrey Bogart Marathon today, December 8th and tomorrow during primetime is showing another batch of under the radar Christmas movies. They call them Christmas Classics but some of the movies aren't 'classic'-still 'tis the season and even some of the not-so-good ones might bring back some nice memories or strike your fancy.

It's Bogart all through the day and into the very very early morning tomorrow. If you are a Bogart fan you don't want to miss many of the offerings being shown. I'll start with what's on this morning .

Some of the lower budgeted b-movies and movies featuring Bogie in the 25 movies he made mostly for Warner Brothers when he got a contract with them after successfully making 1936's Petrified Forest. He wasn't a big enough star yet to pick and choose what movies he would be in... but instead was assigned movies to be in and pretty much had to do what he was told. (It wouldn't be until after 1941's Maltese Falcon and 1942 Casablanca...

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Jo says "Cerama Bryte gets my Cooktop Clean" about Cerama Bryte Glass-Ceramic Cooktop Cleaner

Jo — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:54:42 GMT

To the Point

When we got our Amana 30 inch electric range with a ceramic top we were told we would have to clean it carefully.

I bought Cerama Bryte Cooktop Cleaner. A 28-ounce bottle at Home Depot. It wasn't inexpensive coming in at about $7.00. Cerama Bryte Cooktop Cleaner can be used on all ceramic cooktops.

Amazingly Cerama Bryte Cooktop Cleaner is not tested on animals. It is biodegradable, has no phosphates, and the container can be recycled.

A Closer View

Cerama Bryte Cooktop Cleaner can be used, according to the bottle, on Amana, GE, Whirlpool, Maytag, Hotpoint, Frigidaire, and Kenmore ranges. Although I only use it on my stove now that I'm reviewing this cleaner I see I can use it to clean my stainless steel sink, glass cookware, pots and pans and items I don't have like a glass shower door.:

A little of this white, not horrible smelling liquid goes a long way. I just shake the bottle, and with a paper towel and a cool cooktop I rub Cerama Bryte Cooktop Cleaner on. I then dry...

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Jo says "I bought cute place card holders at Beau-coup.com" about Beau-coup

Jo — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:32:34 GMT

My husband and I were recently married in our religion. Although it was fall we had a beach theme. I wanted Adirondack chairs for the place cards. Some are very expensive because they have tea lights or a place for a picture or the table numbers.

I found small chairs measuring 2 1/4 inch long by 1 1/2 inch wide by 2 inches high at beau-coup.com.

The chairs are not wood so if that is what you are looking for skip these. They are made out of heavy duty plastic. They were packaged so well I was amazed because they are quite durable. I took them over to the venue without any padding. There is no way these little chairs were going to break.

Some people didn't take their chairs. Maybe they didn't know what to do with them but I think they make a cute knick nack and the seat, although small, can fit something little on it. You can also put your next doctor's appointment card in the slot. (Keep reading)

There is a slot on the top of the chair in which I put the place cards, which came with my order....

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Jo says "Arranged: a story of an Orthodox Jew and a Muslim" about Arranged

Jo — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:16:49 GMT

Arranged is an amazing movie. It is an independent film which runs 90 minutes and is not rated; however, it is suitable for all ages but just because of the topic I would rate it PG-13. Having said that, Arranged is a wonderful teachable moment for you and your children.

Two young teachers who are unlikely friends become the best of friends in this story of friendship, loyalty, duty, and tradition. Rochel, played by Zoe Lister-Jones, is an Orthodox Jew. Nasira, played by Francis Benhamou, is Muslim. They both seem out of place in the school in which they teach and the principal does nothing to encourage their cultural diversity.

Arranged is a tale of two families both of whom do not waiver from their faiths. Both families are adamant about arranged marriages. Both young women struggle with how they fit into the modern world though one struggles more. It is interesting to note that the one who struggles more is the one whose parents will not let the other young woman in their house!

We...

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Jo says "A must see movie: What's Eating Gilbert Grape" about What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Jo — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:49:02 GMT

An oldie but greatie is the movie What's Eating Gilbert Grape which I recently saw. It was made in 1993 and earned Leonardo DiCaprio his first Academy Award nomination.

The film is set in a rural town in Iowa where the terrific actor, Johnny Depp, playing Gilbert Grape, is caring for Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Arnie is challenged mentally and a handful.

It seems that Depp cares for everyone but has forgotten himself.

His morbidly obese mom, Bonnie (played by Darlene Cates), was once a pretty woman but has done little except eat since dad's death.

All the chores and cooking go to sisters, Amy (Laura Harrington) and Ellen (Mary Kate Schellhardt).

The love and caring between the brothers is wonderful to watch. The line "nobody touches Arnie" is heard through out the movie.

Another character, the married Betty Carver played by Mary Steenburgen, is having an affair with Gilbert.

Finally Becky, played by Juliette Lewis, comes into the picture and she, among other things, changes the familiy's...

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Jo says "Tick tock says Bella Cucina 4 slice toaster over 13407" about Bella Cucina 4 slice toaster oven 13407

Jo — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:35:52 GMT

To the Point

Our last toaster oven lasted a few weeks. Although I read that toasters might smoke at first, WeatherWorks started smoking later! The review has been updated. I bought and returned two other toasters and then finally decided that the 4 slice oven toaster by Bella Cucina might be good. I thought buying it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond might be better than Wal-Mart. Having spent $60.00 on one that was way to huge for our counter, I bought the 4 slice oven toaster by Bella Cucina for $30.00

A Closer Look

The features:

15 minute timer with auto shut off

temperature control dial

audible tone when toasting is complete

indicator on light

baking pan and broiling rack

crumb tray underneath

limited one-year warranty

The 4 slice oven toaster by Bella Cucina is made in China.

It measures approximately 8" High x 16" Wide x 8 1/2" Deep.

What I like

It fits perfectly on our counter.
It is attractive.
It is inexpensive.
The crumb tray though it is not a tray. The bottom opens up which is just fine...

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Jo says "Dell on Call- call anyone else! " about Dell Service plans/Warranties

Jo — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:39:06 GMT

To the Point

There are a couple of things I've learned over the years. One is when the warranty on my car is up, it's time to trade it in. The next thing I've learned is when the warranty on my computer is up it is time to get a new computer.

A Closer View

Back in October my computer was very sick. I found "The Dell On Call" support system from the website and called.

From the website dell.com

"We provide solutions that help you Setup, Maintain and Protect your PC. We are here to help with your "how to" questions and we'll diagnose your common PC problems like spyware.

Why Use Dell On Call?

Who better to help you get the most out of your system than the ones who built it? Dell is here for you every step of the way - from helping you set up your system out of the box and to walk you through the different needs that can come-up along the way. Don't face those problems on your own - Dell is here for you

Clean/remove unwanted Internet files
Clean/ remove temporary file
Enable automatic Windows...

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Jo says "The Agile Fitness Core Block is just right for my yoga practice" about Agile Fitness Core Building Block

Jo — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:43:20 GMT

My newest addition to my Yoga collection is a block by Agile Fitness. The Core Building Block is larger than any I have although at the Yoga studio in which I go there are two sizes of blocks and this is one of them.

The block makes some exercises easier and some harder according to the tag that came with The Core Building Block by Agile.

Like any block I have or use there are three sides for different poses. When the block is face down it is closest to the floor so I will use it if I don't need much boosting or if I want to stretch more. In that case that position will make using the The Core Building Block by Agile harder.

I stand the block up to make poses easier. On its side - well that's a compromise and probably the position I use for most of my yoga practice specially standing postures and postures like lunges (Ardha Mandalasana).

I have found the The Core Building Block by Agile very durable. Like any foam block if I dig my nails into it there will be a dent left so using...

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ChrisJarmick says "Holiday delights, dashing Colman, original Wicker and Demon too!" about Classic Movies, Holiday Movies, Turner Classic, Christmas, Ronald Colman and 2 Cult gems this Weekend Dec. 2009

ChrisJarmick — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:12:10 GMT

Turner Classic Movies delivers Christmas themed movies tonight, Shop Around the Corner and some superb cult thriller/horror films on Friday Night, and My Fair Lady and Ronald Colman movies on Saturday December 5th. Deck the Halls....

Tonight Starting at 5 p.m. TCM starts showing Holiday movies. It begins with the excellent 1938 version of Charles Dickens' The Christmas Carol starring Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge. My favorite version remains the one starring Alastair Sim's 1951 version sometimes called A Christmas Carol sometimes called Scrooge. The 1938 version is solid and one of the best film adaptations of the timeless, classic story. Sure to put you in the holiday spirit, always worth another viewing. Enjoy it.

There's an important holiday scene or two in the Mervyn LeRoy directed 1949 version of Little Women which stars June Allyson, Margaret O'Brien, Elizabeth Taylor (in a Blonde wig) and Janet Leigh as the March sisters with Peter Lawford and Rossano Brazzi...

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Jolie says "buyuggsboot.net is a scam! Ugg Boots from China that are fake." about www.buyuggsboot.net

Jolie — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:22:46 GMT

Background on Buyuggsboot.net

A friend of mine at Viewpoints recently passed along a site called www.buyuggsboot.net. She found it online. www.buyuggsboot.net is a web site that sells all styles of Ugg Boots at discounted prices.

We werent certain if www.buyuggsboot.net were the real or not. But after a thorough review of the site, we thought it was legit. Buyuggsboot.net looks like a reasonable reseller of Ugg Boots. The page is designed well, the pictures look authentic and they make claim to having the real deal. They also consistently site throughout the web site having customer satisfaction commitments.

To add to the thought it was authentic, the pricing seemed good but not amazing. As you probably know a typical pair of Ugg Boots cost about $110. On Buyuggsboot.net the cost was $89.00- approximately a $20 savings. Seemed like a good deal, but they werent so cheap that I thought it could be scam. As an aside, last year Nordstrom had a similiar sale on Ugg boots so the pricing seemed...

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Jo says "Clinique Lines and Defines my Lips" about Clinique Defining Liner for Lips

Jo — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:15:38 GMT

To the Point

Clinique Defining Liner for Lips is the second lip liner I have bought in about 10 years. My first experience wasn't great. However, my friend told me that it keeps her lipstick on longer.

On my makeup shopping spree to the Clinque counter I bought Clinique Defining Liner for Lips.

A Closer View

I took the advice of the sales clerk and bought the color pomegranate. Clinique Defining Liner for Lips costs $14.00 which is about the same amount as I would pay for any decent liner.

I didn't know until I went to write this review that the cover has a built in pencil sharpener. That's really cool. I have a pencil sharpener but it's nice to have one anytime I need it.

Clinique Defining Liner for Lips is creamy and goes on very smoothly even when sharp. I agree with the claims that it goes on evenly as well. I line my lips and then was told to color my lips with the liner. Another method is to draw two dots on the upper lip's bow, a dash across the bottom of the lower lip and then...

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ChrisJarmick says "Off-beat, risky, flawed, low budget Van Damme movie" about JCVD

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:47:50 GMT

JCVD is the name of this brand new movie starring Jean Claude Van Damme the muscle from Brussels. He plays a fictional version of himself in this movie. He plays an action movie star facing a mid-life crisis. The film opens with an over the top action sequence filmed unbelievably in one long take which exhausts the actor. He complains to the very young Asian director as the take is ruined that he's 47 year old and can't work like this. The asian director doesn't care. He wants to quickly finish the movie. Jean-Claude realizes he's there because he has a name that might sell a few tickets. The movie is going to be awful and his career will go further downhill.

That's not all, he's in court in a nasty divorce proceedings involving child custody. The court scene is stage in an unbelievable fashion as well, with the young child in the courtroom as his parents fight over her.

But hey, let's stop quibbling. This is a low budget action movie that at least tries to...

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ChrisJarmick says "Beautiful, moving, endearing, unforgettable film. See it soon." about Color of Paradise

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:23:38 GMT

Color of Paradise (2000) is a quiet, deceptively simple film about a few months in the life of a blind Iranian boy. Overcome any hesitation you may have about seeing a foreign film and enjoy one of the most beautiful looking and memorably endearing movies you have ever experienced. The cinematography is simply spectacular. The story deeply moving and unforgettable. And yes you'll most likely have to read subtitles (though not that many) unless you speak Farsi.

Although I'm aware the film teeters dangerously close to Spielberg-ian heartstring pulling manipulation, it's also powerful, uncompromising and a film that gets all of its details exactly right.

We meet Mohammad (Mohsen Ramezani) at the school for the blind in Tehran where he resides. We see the students leading each other around, learning how to read and write in Braille, and packing up to meet their parents as the school prepares to close for three months. Mohammad's father is very late. All the other children have been picked...

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ChrisJarmick says "one of my favorite books, clever, inspiring, funny,unforgettable" about Norton Juster - The Phantom Tollbooth

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:16:28 GMT

Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth was inspired by Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland, and is somewhat derivative of Baum's Wizard of Oz series, containing more than a few hints of A. A. Milne and even Dr. Seuss within it's pages as well, but winds up an entirely original creation.

It triumphantly celebrates the imagination. It does so while also celebrating the act of learning things, learning about words and numbers. It was the first book that showed me how important, special and powerful writing words and language can truly be. It didn't just tell me, it showed me.. and showed it could be a lot of fun too.

Am I exaggerating about this beautiful, witty, clever modern fairy tale? Can an adult who is not familiar with this book pick it up, enjoy it and develop the affection I have for the thing? I believe so. I am not absolutely positive about this because I first read this book when I was 8 years old. I read it again when I was 12. I wrote a book report about it when I...

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Jo says "Chobani Greek Yogurt: give it a try" about Chobani Greek Yogurt

Jo — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:34:22 GMT

I learned about Chobani Greek Yogurt at a 12-week weight loss class I have been taking. The reason it was mentioned is because of the amount of protein the yogurts have.

I just finished Blueberry Non-Fat yogurt. I have tried every flavor (except plain) and find them all really delicious. Make sure you stir them because the fruit is at the bottom. I have one a day!

Chobani Greek Yogurt comes in 6-ounce and 16-ounce cups. That is a bit strange because the larger containers serve 2 although they have 8 ounces. Obviously you'll get more calories in half of the 16 ounce yogurt.

The company donates 10% of their profits to charities. http://www.chobani.com

Chobani Greek Yogurt is delicious. I was a bit apprehensive at first because I am so used to non-Greek yogurt I had no idea what to expect. I thought it would be too thick but it isn't. It is just the right consistency.

My Blueberry yogurt has real blueberries in it; 14 grams of protein; no fat; and no cholesterol. However it has 20 grams of...

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ChrisJarmick says "Bogart Movie Marathon, Epic Adventures and a funny one highlight" about Bogart Movies Turner Classic Movies Vintage Movies December 1 & 2, 2009

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:18:21 GMT

Turner Classic Movies delivers a marathon of Bogart, several adventure epics and a very funny Woody Allen Movie over the next two days. Enjoy..

This afternoon... TCM shows one of Woody Allen's funniest movies: Take the Money and Run The 1969 comedy gem airs at 3 p.m. shortly after a 1971 Dick Cavett Show with Woody is shown (at 1:30 p.m. on the West Coast). I just posted a review of the movie this morning.

Tonight's prime time movies all follow the them Explorer Adventures. At 5 p.m. Fred mac Murray, Charlton Heston, Donna Reed and Barbara Hale star in the romanticized version of Lewis Clark's journey through the American West called Far Horizons. At 7 p.m. Gary Cooper and Basil Rathbone star in the Hollywoodized biography of a famous Italian explorer in 1938's The Adventures of Marco Polo, this is followed almost logically by 1949's Hollywoodized version of Christopher Columbus starring Frederick March which airs at 9 p.m. PST. Probably the best movie...

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Jo says "Amana 30 Inch Freestanding Electric good on a budget Range " about Amana 30 Inch Freestanding Electric Range #AER5830VAD

Jo — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:36:42 GMT

To the Point

We finally decided that having two burners on which to cook just wasn't working. We wanted a ceramic top and it had to be electric. We didn't want to spend a lot of money. The Amana 30 Inch Freestanding Electric Range #AER5830VAD was $400.00 on sale at Home Depot back in August. The regular price is around $550.00. That's still in the low end of range prices.

A Closer View

The first thing we noticed was that this range is smaller than our previous one. It doesn't make a difference to us. We have a small kitchen so it is good. What isn't good, especially for a family, is that the bottom drawer is not nearly as deep as any other range I've owned. My cookie sheets are always falling in the back and onto the floor.

I would not recommend the flat top style range if you have children. I know that kids touch coils as well but the ceramic is hot even when it is not red. There is a hot light indicator but a child would have to know to look for it.

The Features

Pros

The Amana 30 Inch...

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ChrisJarmick says "Good low budget 50s era Creature Feature; great monster suit." about Monster of Piedras Blancas

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:04:09 GMT

The Monster of Piedras Blancas follows a pretty standard 50s creature feature formula. The difference is, it has one of the best looking guy in a rubber-monster suits since The Creature of the Black Lagoon. It also has a couple of daring and quite shocking scenes circa 1959 which created some controversy when the film was released.(today they'd get the film rated PG.. maybe). The acting is NOT absolutely awful, the pacing is good, the real locations used are interesting. The script is a variation on Creature , the budget is so tiny, you see exactly one vehicle being driven in the entire movie (cast members borrow it from each other!!!), there are a few continuity errors, some strange edits, and the direction is uninspired. Still, I like this one.

Welcome to another cheap, very independently produced 1959 creature feature. If you like 50s creature features.. then the 4 star rating I give it.. applies. If you don't know about 50's creature features then 2 or 3 stars might be a...

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