http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/joyjoy Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:59:21 GMT Reviews by joyjoy http://www.viewpoints.com/Epson-All-in-One-Printer-Scanner--24526-review-c9a03 Epson Stylus CX 7400 — — note: The CX 7400 supports Windows 2000, XP, XP Professional x64 Edition, Vista,and Mac OS X 10.2.8, 10.3.9 and above. It does not have a parallel port, USB cable not included. — — Like all Epson printers setup of the CX 7400 was simple. The instructions were well written and easy to understand, the ink slots are color coded so there is no guess work what goes where. My only problem was the USB port is recessed and I needed a flashlight, so be sure and have a flashlight or a well-lit room.You'll want to get the serial number from the back before you began as you will need it during the registration process. Follow the instructions for connecting the printer, insert the CD when instructed and follow the prompts. Even registration is made as painless as possible. After filling in the form (easy) you are given the option of registering online, by mail or by fax. The directions for printing, copying and scanning could be understood by a... Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:59:21 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Epson-All-in-One-Printer-Scanner--24526-review-c9a03 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Late-July-Vanilla-Bean-with-Green-Tea-sandwich-cookies-review-c5ea2 Late July Vanilla Bean with Green Tea sandwich cookies are an excellent balance of chocolate and vanilla.These are too sweet for my tastes but I am not a big sweets eater, most people would love these. These cookies are certified organic and the taste shows the difference. They are kosher and vegan, meaning no animal products of any kind, and contain no peanut or corn products. Packaged in a plastic tray and sealed in foil, I put them in a plastic bag to keep them fresh. Of course they might not last long enough to need this! The website, LateJuly.com, has a list of online stores where these can be found but they can probably be bought from most health food stores. Nothing artificial, these cookies have no artificial color or flavor and no preservatives. — — Made in a plant that processes foods containing milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. — Contains wheat and... Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:24:57 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Late-July-Vanilla-Bean-with-Green-Tea-sandwich-cookies-review-c5ea2 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Color-in-food-review-d4af4 If you are like me, allergic to artificial color, or just prefer to avoid unnecessary ingredients, you may feel you have to avoid prepared foods as most contain added color. But there are two types of color, chemical dyes and vegetable dyes. Knowing which you are eating can be helpful. — — It is not difficult to recognize chemical dyes in an ingredient list as they are designated in only three ways: artificial color, FD&C(color name) #(color number), and titanium dioxide. Despite the different names these are all the same substance. Titanium dioxide and FD&C color are also the designations used in cosmetic products, — — Vegetable dyes are listed in a variety of ways,  some of which are listed here although this is probably not a complete list. — — annatto : a seaweed that comes in a variety of colors (If you are allergic to seafood you can still eat annatto without worrying.) — — turmeric: a yellow root — — caramel... Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:03:12 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Color-in-food-review-d4af4 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/In-Dublins-Fair-City-review-1ffe0 At the turn of the twentieth century Molly Murphy is something of an anomaly as a private investigator, even if she does restict herself to non-violent cases. (Well, that's her intention.) — — When theatrical impressario Tommy Burke asks Molly Murphy to travel to Ireland to find his baby sister it seems a simple, if probably fruitless, task. As soon as she boards the ship Molly is met with a strange request; pretend to be a famous actress for the voyage so said actress can avoid her fans. When the actress's maid is killed, and then the woman disappears, things take a frightening turn. But no where near as frightening as events become when Molly begins looking for Tommy's sister and is drawn into the movement for Irish home... Sun, 18 May 2008 22:52:45 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/In-Dublins-Fair-City-review-1ffe0 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Spots-and-Stripes-review-26c70 ... Fri, 09 May 2008 00:47:45 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Spots-and-Stripes-review-26c70 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Green-Apple-Games-review-ae4d2 Green Apple Games scours the internet for shareware games that can be played offline or online. With new games being added every day, these games are guaranteed to be free of adware, spyware, and viruses. Free playing time varies by game and is determined by the developer. Because Green Apple Games is merely the distribution site, rather than the owner/developer, there is no account needed, nothing to join and no extra expenses. Payment is channeled directly to the developer, all that is required is your payment information. Payment can be made online by credit card or PayPal, or offline by credit card or check. When you go to pay for your game designate your payment method. If you choose fax or check you will be directed to make a print out of your order and be given information as to where to fax/mail the order.... Mon, 05 May 2008 19:47:47 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Green-Apple-Games-review-ae4d2 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/How-To-Murder-Your-Mother-In-Law-review-cce33 Ellie Haskell believes meddling women should be shot at dawn, especially her. Against the advice of her husband Ben, Ellie decides to throw an anniversary party for her in-laws. The result is disaster; after a knock down drag out fight Elijah storms out and Magdalene decides to move in permanently. Ellie and some other unhappy daughters-in-law meet, and to let off steam, discuss ways to kill their mothers-in-law. But when one woman is hospitalized and another killed, both injured in the fashion discussed, Ellie becomes frightened that Magdalene will be next. — Dorothy Cannell's books are wickedly funny takes on domestic life and recommended to anyone who enjoys a good... Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:46:35 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/How-To-Murder-Your-Mother-In-Law-review-cce33 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/SnackAisle-review-239b2 Sorry, no goulash. And if you are looking for junk food try the snack aisle in the grocery store. If you want snacks that are good for you, this is the place. SnackAisle has a wide variety of nuts, cookies, chips, etc., and more kinds of salsa than I knew there were. If you prefer organic snacks you'll find them here. Special needs such as Kosher? They have it. There are also snacks for people on low fat or low carb diets. (No more having to find Atkins.) The site has complete ingredient and nutritional listing for each product and a glossary of terms used in foods. Shipping is by UPS and is fast and reasonable. I placed my order Tuesday night, Wednesday morning when I opened my email there was a message from SnackAisle telling me my order had been shipped and giving me the tracking number. — — FYI: The title is a line from the tv show MASH. —... Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:22:05 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/SnackAisle-review-239b2 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Codas-Haven-Goat-Milk-Soap-review-8deb1 Coda's Haven is an animal rescue in Michigan, all profits from soap sales contribute to the support of the animals. To learn more visit www.codashaven.com. — — The natural color of goat's milk soap is a light brown (think white cotton lace dipped in strong black tea or coffee) which was disconcerting at first, now I can't imagine soap being white. The rectangular bars are flat on all sides but one, which is ridged. You are probably more interested in how well it works. The answer is that this is unequivocally the best soap I have ever used. Because of the humid weather in Houston I have to keep WD 40 on hand for my patio door. Soon after receiving the soap in the mail I sprayed the door's tracks getting some of the liquid on my hand. The goat's milk soap did the job in less time than other soaps I have used and was less drying, including a "glycerin" bar I also use. — — The liquid comes in an 8 oz bottle with a pump. It is thin which allows it to be rinsed... Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:34:45 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Codas-Haven-Goat-Milk-Soap-review-8deb1 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Twinings-Classics-English-Breakfast-Tea-review-c12c The first thing I noticed was that the name of this tea had changed; Twinings changed to Twinings Classics. The second thing I noticed was the price increase. lol The tea bags used to be packaged in paper sleeves with paper tags attached. Consequently, when trying to remove the bags, the tags were often pulled off the string. Now the bags are packaged in individual foil pouches with tags made of cardboard, they resemble Lipton Flo-thru bags. The biggest difference is the taste. Before it didn't matter if the tea was steeped one minute or several the taste was the same, nonexistent. These still are not the most flavorful teabags I have ever used but they are much improved. The box says medium flavor strength and I like strong tea so perhaps that is the reason. If you prefer something a little weaker you would probably like Twinings... Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:08:04 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Twinings-Classics-English-Breakfast-Tea-review-c12c joyjoy 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Call-Me-Anna-review-4280 When Anna Marie Duke was seven one of her managers said "This is what we have decided, Anna Marie is dead. You are now Patty." This was the start of a ten year nightmare where her managers, John and Ethel Ross, gradually took over her entire life. With a mentally ill mother and an alchoholic father, it was a simple matter to have Anna move in with them so as to control every aspect of both her public and private life. This continued until the age of seventeen when things came to a head finally resulting in her breaking free. Then a longer and worse nightmare began until, in her thirties, Patty Duke was diagnosed manic-depressive. The true story of her survival makes her autobiography a powerful and compelling read. This book is highly recommended to people who enjoy non-fiction, fans of Patty Duke, those who would like to learn more about mental illness, as well as everyone... Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:14:12 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Call-Me-Anna-review-4280 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Eaters-of-the-Dead-review-e82b5 Some years back I was in a bookstore and saw a book entitled Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton. I was unfamiliar with his work and thought it was a book about mythology as the eaters of the dead judged souls in the Egyptian religion. I was even more intrigued when I realized the bulk of the book was a modern translation of an ancient manuscript. In the 10th century an Arabic man on a diplomatic mission traveled through the northern countries keeping a diary of his experiences. While it is all fascinating, the main part of the story is his experiences with the Geats. They were traders and one of the men spoke enough Arabic for the two of them to communicate. He was shocked by what he perceived as their brutality and backwardness, and in some cases he was right, but they were surprisingly sophisticated (remember this was a thousand years ago) and sometimes their knowledge was greater than his own. If you are familiar with the movie The Thirteenth Warrior you will be prepared for... Sat, 23 Feb 2008 02:25:57 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Eaters-of-the-Dead-review-e82b5 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/The-False-Inspector-Dew-review-b4b62 Early in the twentieth century Walter Dew ended a distinguished Scotland Yard career by capturing the murderous Dr. Crippen. In 1921 a passenger aboard an ocean liner was murdered and the crew was relieved to find the retired Inspector Dew was a passenger, later learning that the inspector had never left his retirement cottage. By the time the hoax was discovered the imposter had vanished and his identity was never discovered. In The False Inspector Dew Peter Lovesey has taken this factual event and woven a fascinating mystery. — He invents a full character for this man, including why he was on this ship, as well as reasons for his impersonation. I cannot say more without revealing the story except it shows just how bizarre truth can... Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:23:41 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/The-False-Inspector-Dew-review-b4b62 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Cadbury-Fruit-and-Nut-Chocolate-Bar-review-2d430 When I was shopping at UKGoods.com I bought three candy bars to try. One was Cadbury Fruit & Nut. I probably wouldn't have tried it as I am not fond of most commercial chocolate candy, but I read a review by ViewFromParadise raving about this bar. The chocolate is delicious; sweet like chocolate should be, but still with a cocoa flavor. It is smooth and creamy in texture with, in my opinion, just the right amount of raisins and almonds. It has a texture that is both chewy (raisins) and crunchy (almonds) in a bar that is sectioned for eating a piece at a time. Unless you're like me and just gobble it down. Good thing it was only about an ounce. — — milk, sugar, cocoa, cocoa butter, vegetable fat, emulsifiers (E442, E476), flavorings, raisins (16%), almonds (7%) — may contain traces of wheat and soya — suitable for vegetarians — —... Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:59:12 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Cadbury-Fruit-and-Nut-Chocolate-Bar-review-2d430 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Galaxy-Raisin-Almond-Hazelnut-review-5c113 When I was shopping at UKGoods I decided to try some of their candies. One of them is Galaxy Raisin, Almond & Hazelnut. This is a milk chocolate bar with raisins and nuts, although not as many nuts as I would have liked. The chocolate was divided into sections, like a Hershey bar, was smooth and creamy and packaged like a Milky Way. When I tasted it my first thought was,"This is sweet!" I thought maybe it was because of the raisins but then I realized they actually had a pleasant tang. The nuts gave it a crunchy texture, the raisins chewy. Taken in its entirety this is a good bar but only for people with a strong sweet tooth. — — Raisins (11%) Almonds (4.5%) Hazelnuts (4.5%) — sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa, raisins, skimmed milk powder, milk fat, almonds, hazelnuts, lactose, whey powder, soya lecithin, vegetable oil, flavoring — may contain traces of peanuts and other nuts, sesame, wheat — approximately one ounce —... Sun, 17 Feb 2008 02:54:45 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Galaxy-Raisin-Almond-Hazelnut-review-5c113 joyjoy 3 http://www.viewpoints.com/Cadbury-Dairy-Milk-Whole-Nut-review-08446 Dairymilk is the British term for milk chocolate. — — When I was placing an order with UKGoods I decided to try some of their chocolate. One I tried was Cadbury Dairy Milk Whole Nut. This is a milk chocolate bar with hazelnuts. Packaged like a Hershey bar, it is sectioned, for easy eating, with a creamy texture similar to Hershey. While it is a little sweeter than I like it leaves no "sugar" aftertaste and would be acceptable to most people. Approximately one ounce, it is a nice size for snacking without making you feel as if you are over indulging. — — Ingredients — milk, sugar,cocoa butter, cocoa,vegetable fat, emulsifier (E442), flavorings, hazelnuts (17%) — may contain traces of wheat and soya —... Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:13:50 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Cadbury-Dairy-Milk-Whole-Nut-review-08446 joyjoy 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Lilian-Jackson-Braun-The-Cat-Who-Had-60-Whiskers-review-d9f71 Things are happening in Pickaxe, a new senior center and new museums. But that is not all, a young woman disappears, vandals torch a building, valuable artifacts are sold but the money is nowhere to be found and another woman has a fatal accident. Or does she?  To answer that question and find out what, if any, relationship there is among these events you will have to read  The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers. — — Lilian Jackson Braun apparently decided it was time for a change in the Cat Who... universe so some surprises are in store for readers. I can't say more except that Koko is still guiding Qwilleran (with more or less success) and YumYum is still stealing the hearts of people in two counties.... Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:41:09 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Lilian-Jackson-Braun-The-Cat-Who-Had-60-Whiskers-review-d9f71 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/The-Private-Life-of-the-Cat-Who-review-241d1 The foreword of this book contains a brief description of Qwilleran and his two cats, Koko and Yum Yum. — This book is comprised of thoughts and impressions as written in Qwilleran's daily journal. He begins with his adoption of Koko and proceeds to Yum Yum. Fans of the Cat Who... books will enjoy this trip down memory lane and revisiting places, events and cats Qwilleran has encountered. Also enjoyable are happenings not included in the series. As a cat lover I am drawn to books featuring cats and have often been disappointed. Because this book is short potential readers can see if they would be interested in the series without a large investment of time or money. Qwilleran notes that Yum Yum begins her distinctive N-N-Now about the time the women's movement began. This is because Lilian Jackson Braun wrote three books before 1969 and did not write another until 1986. Through the magic of fiction Qwilleran who was forty-something is now fifty-something and the cats are a... Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:51:10 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/The-Private-Life-of-the-Cat-Who-review-241d1 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/teabag-sqeezer-review-daf4 I came across this little gadget in a catalog. Since I was ordering some other merchandise, and it wasn't more shipping, I thought I would give it a try. It turned out to be one of the handiest gadgets I have ever used. Made of metal and shaped like mini tongs, the teabag sqeezer has flat end pieces to allow for squeezing a tea/coffee bag, with holes to allow liquid to pass through. These are also useful for fishing a bag out of the cup if the string breaks or if there is no string. I found this at Walter Drake, www.wdrake.com, but it may also be available off-line in places such as Wal-Mart or dollar... Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:09:21 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/teabag-sqeezer-review-daf4 joyjoy 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/DiGiorno-Ultimate-Supreme-review-d7510 DiGiorno Ultimate Supreme pizza was something of a disappointment. Because I had a coupon, I thought I would give this a try. The Ultimate Supreme has Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, red onions and green and red bell peppers. The directions said it could be baked on a pizza pan or directly on the oven rack. Any one who has tried baking a pizza on the rack knows that is a recipe for disaster, so I used a pan. The crust did not turn out crisp although it did do somewhat better when the leftover pizza was reheated in my toaster oven. The taste was just average, even a crisp crust couldn't have changed that. Unless you get one without meat you will be getting 40% of your daily intake of sodium in one slice do to the sodium nitrite used in the meat. The best part of this pizza was the box, being delivery style it was very easy to open. In the future I'll stick with Tony's pizzas, less than half price and taste just as... Wed, 02 Jan 2008 19:16:42 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/DiGiorno-Ultimate-Supreme-review-d7510 joyjoy 3