Reviews by jkinatl2

jkinatl2 says "Going Native is a terrific brand, and this is my favorite" about Going Native Green Vegetable Curry

jkinatl2 — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:45:15 GMT

Going Native is a company located in California which focuses on prepared Indian curries. They have several different varieties, including pumpkin curry, potato and bamboo shoots curry, and my favorite, the Green Vegetable curry.

Most prepared meals have, at best, bits of vegetation. The quality of stuff that you'd find in the bargain section of the supermarket. Serviceable, but hardly gourmet. Most companies spend their money on the sauce, the seasoning. And that's okay. Going Native really goes the extra mile here. Pieces of eggplant and carrot and potato large enough to be two forkfulls in a rich, creamy green curry that's mildly spicy and complex. it is labeled as hot. It is not. That is the one caveat I would make. But the spice blend and the quality of ingredients is evident in this product, and well worth the premium price. It's a step above Americanized "Indian" food, but if you are a true native, you might not be as impressed as I was.

I have had this product with rice, and by...

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jkinatl2 says "Everything old is, well, still pretty darned good" about Sony - Playstation 2

jkinatl2 — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:59:58 GMT

For all but the most hardcore gamers, this console is perfect. The fact that companies are still putting out PS2 compatible games years after the Playstation 3 was introduced says an awful lot about the durability of the device.

Sony really redefined the video game console with this device, and it shows little sign of losing it's popularity. When Sony decided not to make the Playstation 3 backwards-compatible with PS2 games, many of us saw that as a good reason not to switch. And Sony, smartly, has listened to us. They still make new PS2 consoles, and we still buy them. I have a fairly large array of PS2 games, from shooters, to exercise games. I have gone through more controllers than I can count, mainly due to pets that like to chew the rubber knobs off of them. I have used wireless controllers, with varying (mostly less than optimal) experiences. I do not mind the wired controller, especially since I purchased an extension cord for them.

I do see a difference in video quality with...

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jkinatl2 says "A fair and friendly company that is far less evil than others" about Progressive

jkinatl2 — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:43:29 GMT

I will state upfront that I have zero loyalty when it comes to insurance. If another company can offer the same stuff cheaper, I will jump at the chance. To date, Progressive has been nothing but fair to me. Even after a couple of claims (one my fault, one not) they have not even hinted at raising my rates and dropping me. They did not even raise my rates after a speeding ticket a few years ago! Trust me, stuff like that goes an awfully long way with me.

My previous insurance company had unceremoniously dumped me after a terrible hit and run with an uninsured driver in a stolen car. The other company, who I shall not name in order to protect the poor little lizard that represents them, was unsympathetic. Progressive took me in, rotten credit and all. And seven years later, I still remain with them. Every time my policy is up, I search other companies, and talk with Progressive on the phone to scrape a few pennies off of my policy. So far, there has been no reason to change.

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jkinatl2 says "The Mototola Razr V3 is an antique that you should keep" about Motorola - RazrV3 Cell Phone

jkinatl2 — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:33:49 GMT

The Motorola Razr series is one of the few models of cell phones that seem to stand the test of time. Not only are they rugged enough to hang around for the entirety of your cell phone contract (which is a rare thing), they are even almost as expensive to buy as they were when first introduced.

The features are terrific for someone who wants primarily a phone that works. The bluetooth is effortless. The camera is rudimentary, but works just fine for snapshots in medium to good light. There are games and ringtones for the dedicated anti-social, and though tedious by my standards, texting is actually somewhat intuitive. Having used other phones, I can honestly say that I like this one the best, and it would take a lot of encouragement to make me upgrade. I actually let my mom have my "upgrade" so that she could get a Razr on her plan as well. Sadly, I noticed that the Razr is no longer available on the AT&T web site. So this is one dinosaur I will ride all the way to the tar pit.

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jkinatl2 says "This has become my new best friend" about Hp HP PAVILIAN ENTERTAINMENT PC

jkinatl2 — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:30:15 GMT

I received this computer as a gift from a group of friends who really enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons Online, a MMRPG that, unfortunately, is limited with a Mac as my primary computer. I love my iBook, and the interface that is Mac os X. I have had limited experience with a laptop with Windows XP, so this was a huge jump for me into the PC world. I was a little scared of the VISTA situation, as this computer came pre-loaded with Vista Home Premium. Having never, ever dealt with a blue screen of death, I was afraid.

These fears have been, for the last year and a half, unfounded totally. I have worked with this computer almost every day since I got it. Not only are the graphics terrific (I play Dungeons and Dragons online at least once a week at minimal graphics, and it is a smooth ride) but the overall experience seems really intuitive. Now, there is still a learning curve from my iBook, and I have yet to explore the audio end of the PC spectrum. I was overhwelmed and awed by the...

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jkinatl2 says "This is my significant other" about TiVo - Series2 TCD649080 Video Recorder

jkinatl2 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:29:18 GMT

A friend of mine bought my my Tivo over four years ago, and I really have come to depend on it. So much so that I am nervous about it's age. It does what it is supposed to fo, and more.

It records the shows at reasonable quality (on standard, DVD quality on Best). It keeps them as long as I need them or want them, and makes suggestions that, despite a few glaring and repetitive errors (I do NOT want to watch any moe episodes of Masterminds. Get it?) they seem fair enough.

It is reliable, it is easy to use, it is friendly, and even keeps up with the constantly changing cable lineup. The remote is not the battery hog I was afraid it would be, and though I have yet to figure out how to transfer a show to disk, every other feature works fine. I highly recommend it for those features alone.

The price might seem a tad high, but the value received (watching what I want when I want) is worth it to me. I think that this, the Gold Standard by which DVRs are compared, still ranks the highest. I...

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jkinatl2 says "Perfect for the gym" about Apple iPod Shuffle

jkinatl2 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:53:55 GMT

I staggered around for years with my full-sized iPod on an armband. Literally every single piece of music I owned was on it. I had two sections devoted to the gym, and I often shuffled the music. And often, when I was done with the gym, I would leave it in the car. Which, sadly, contributed to its demise... again, holding hostage all my music. Luckily, I had backed it up.

So when shopping for a new player for the gym, I decided NOT to purchase a new iPod, let alone an anemic (for music capacity) iPod touch. I want my music seen, and not heard, and all that.

The version I have is only one gig, so every week or so, I exhaust the music I have, and reload. The shuffle feature works fine, though the mathematics behind it's random shuffling escapes me. It seems to really like Pat Benetar. However, the battery life is solidly okay, often good for three or four workouts before a charge - and that's with my fickle pressing the forward and reverse buttons, fiddling with the volume, and turning...

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jkinatl2 says "I finally realized I don't need an iphone" about Motorola - Razor Att Cell Phone

jkinatl2 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:47:18 GMT

I have had this phone for a few years now, and I still really like it. When I finally drop it one too many times, or when the Great Gods at ATT decide I am eligible, I just might buy one like it again. The sound quality is great, the screen is bright, I get tons of talk and standby time.

I often use the speakerphone, and though that does drain the battery, it does so far less quickly than my previous Nokia with the same functions. I like the storage capacity and the voice dial a lot, though the buttons seem clumsy in those regards. The camera is good enough to take a snapshot virtually indistinguishable from my digital camera, under good lighting conditions.

Best of all, all my chargers fit. Mom has one too. Most of my friends are on ATT wireless, so our calls are free. This is very handy, since rollover minutes are my very best friend.

A downside is the texting capability. It takes me forever to text. You'd think I had a PSP in my hand was trying to coax Mario through spinning disks....

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jkinatl2 says "I will wear this puppy out, and then buy another one" about Sony - play station 2

jkinatl2 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:37:29 GMT

I have had this PS2 for about five years. And it's been turned on for the bulk of that time. This workhorse of a gaming system is amazing for it's versatility and ease of use. i have absolutely NO desire to switch to the PS3. And I cannot be alone in this, as the PS2 continues to sell, and be manufactured, even alongside the PS3.

I do not have HDTV. I own an awful lot of DVDs that I have no interest in buying again. I have a lot of games that would be incompatible if I switched, and frankly, I am really happy where I am. I play DDR for exercise, I play Final Fantasy X when I want to feel junilant, hopeful, then ultimately sad and tragic (its a Japanese storyline, so, well, operatic). It's use as a DVD player came in handy during the Year of the Emersons.

I play my Star Trek game on it, challenge my friends to Mortal Combat, lose almost instantly on Resident: Evil, and enjoy every minute of it. Sure, the graphics are not quite that of the PS3, and there's no online capability like that...

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jkinatl2 says "I am writing this from my bed, if that tells you anything" about Apple Airport Extreme

jkinatl2 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:28:46 GMT

This was so easy to set up, it was almost effortless. It's on basically all the time, and it connects my four computers without many hiccups. I will be honest, it's a lot easier to use my iBook and Mac pro with it than my HP or Gateway. For all the power my HP has, it has yet to reach out into the ether and utilize the wireless printing, something my iBook does with ease.

An IT friend tried and failed to make it work for the bulk of a Saturday evening. But connecting the HP to the network itself was easy. The Airport also serves my Tivo, and when I save enough money, it will serve my Wii as well. I would not really want to switch brands just to save money, as the ease of use is paramount.

I recommend the Airport Extreme for anyone who wants to set up their network and then forget about it. For those who want to tinker, I am sure this machine offers a lot of options. I simply like the ease of use, and the ability to do my work, play my games, watch my television through Tivo, and stream...

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jkinatl2 says "Better of Both Worlds." about Apple MacBook Pro

jkinatl2 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:21:09 GMT

For merging my HP Laptop (ahem, desktop replacement) and assorted files with my Mac Mini, iBook, and ancient Mac Pro, this is an ideal solution.

It's fast and efficient enough to do my Mac-related tasks (music creating and editing, video stuff, graphics and word processing) but also gives me the ability to talk to my HP and transfer files without oddities, convert where needed, and deal mainly without seams between two very different operating systems.

The HP I mainly use for DDO, an online game that requires processor, video capabilities, and general horsepower that even a top of the line Mac Pro would have a little trouble coughing up. That, and I am not at all made of money. Saved for a long time for this thing, and am unlikely to migrate towards a new model before it totally falls apart and is beyond upgrading.

It's a terrific computer if you are someone like me, who enjoys the right brained stuff like music creation and editing (yet never touched a "real" sound board), video creating...

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jkinatl2 says "I like to smell like one thing; Dove." about Dove Conditioner for color treated or damaged hair

jkinatl2 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:08:13 GMT

When I can afford it, which is not always, I use Dove products. I prefer to smell like one thing when I step out of the shower. Great tea shampoo, Apple conditioner, Sexy Axe bodywash, all end up stinking like a high school reunion after a while.

Dove smells like, well, Dove. From head to toe. And I like that a lot. the shampoo is good, and the conditioner is good. True, I bleach my hair, so sometimes I have to use other products, and the Dove tends towards middle-to-pricey for me, so sometimes I use Equate or some such. But in my perfect world? Dove.

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jkinatl2 says "I liked Equate twice as much as Pantene, given the value" about Equate Pantene equivalent shampoo and conditioner

jkinatl2 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:01:03 GMT

Look, I HAVE to treat my hair with kid gloves. I don't WANT to. But I was almost completely gray by the time I was twenty-five, and trust me, the novelty wears way off. So in 2000, on a whim and without knowing wehat I was doing, I bleached it platinum-ish. Oddly, it looked okay. Better than okay, it actually passed for something resembling a young person's hair. Wow. Even Dad liked it, and Dad was an Andy Griffith, Brylcream sort of guy.

Finding the right shampoo was difficult, because bleaching it tore it up something awful. I used a lot of pricey products before setling on Pantene Pro-V Shampoo and conditioner. When I discovered the Equate version, I was skeptical, but also poor. So I switched.

It really is a terrific shampoo, and roughly half what I used to pay. I wash my hair a lot. Even before bed, because I don't want to wake up with stinky pillow, not ever. this stuff works, without turning me bald, or flaky. It even makes it possible to walk out the door without conditioning...

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