Reviews by Friends of jro

Matt says "Craft Steak delivers on food, wine and ambiance!" about Craft Steak - Las Vegas, NV

Matt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:47:21 GMT

Last night I went to Craft Steak in Vegas at the MGM Grand. I am a big fan of Tom Colicchio who is the owner of Craft and arguably one of the most famous celebrity chefs since his role as the head judge on Bravo's Top Chef. Tom is known for his attention to detail and fresh ingredients. I have been to Craft in NYC and just fell in love with the wide assortment of fresh vegetables and family style approach.

I was not disapointed with my experience at Craft Steak in Vegas. We orderd the 12 oz Kobe Skirt Steak and the assortment of mushrooms, roasted asparagus and a great avocado salad (pics to the right) and buffalo mozerella to start out with. The steak was really amazing: tender, flavorful and overall mouth watering. I had a margarita to start with, followed by the Resiling (which was a little tangy but ultimately very nice) and then the Zifnandel with the entree. I finished it off with a butterscotch pudding (pics to the right) and a nice port.

HEAVEN!!! If you are...

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tim2 says "a great place to see a band any night of the week" about Metro | Chicago

tim2 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:23:57 GMT

I have been to the Metro ( www.metrochicago.com ) more times than I can count and I have never had a bad experience. The relatively small size of the venue combined with the quality of talent that the Metro brings in results in an amazing experience. You can go to the Metro literally any night of the week and have a good time while discovering new music. The Metro consistently brings in local and emerging artists and gives you the ability to see a band before they really make it and are a national success.

The other thing that I really like about the Metro is the location. Located at 3730 N. Clark St. in Chicago, it is very easy to get to via public transportation (bus and/or L) or cab. There are some parking options close by, but with the red line addison stop just a few minutes away from the venue, it is difficult to pass up that option.

If you are a fan of music, I would check out their show listings to find new music.

If you are a fan of music and live in Chicago, I would...

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KriticalKen says "Truth in labeling at its most pure." about Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

KriticalKen — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:37:46 GMT

I can't believe I never used a Magic Eraser sponge until a few months ago, when my Realtor told me about them. When were these things invented? Where have they been all my life? To think of all of the hours of scrubbing I could have avoided over my lifetime. I could have written the Great American Novel.

Basically, this is a sponge imbued with miraculous micro-abraisive properties: enough to dislodge stains, smudges and in general, schmutz, from walls and surfaces, seemingly without every discoloring or in any way marring the surface. What more could you ask for? (What is the secret formula? I would love to know. Ground up pieces of Stonehenge?)

A real-life example: I was in serious trouble with the Darling Wife for wacking a fly against the wall with a glossy magazine. How was I supposed to know that this would not only splatter the fly against the wall, but more problematically, leave an indelible ink imprint that would resist soap, water, Fantastik and all the elbow grease I could muster?...

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KriticalKen says "Falling in love with my computer again" about Apple MacBook Pro

KriticalKen — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:18:09 GMT

I happen to be of just the age that I track the history of the personal computer.

I first encountered a computer in fifth grade, a solitary Radio Shack TRS-80 that was parked in the school library. Soon thereafter, I was the proud owner of a Commodore VIC-20. Built in RAM: 5K. 5K!!! (Can you imagine how skilled a programmer you needed to be to do anything in 5K?). The Commodore 64 took me through high school (where the computer lab machines were Commodore PET's). I never owned an Apple 2, but in college we all had Apples -- the classic Mac (512K). In professional school, I was using a Mac Powerbook laptop.

But here's the story everyone knows: by the time I left the confines of the university, the Windows-based PC dominated the business world. Thus, for the last 15 years, I have had little choice but to use them. And to be fair, Windows works well enough. Computers are incredibly fast and powerful, and you can do everything you need to do on a Windows PC. But for me, computers had always...

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jdt2912 says "Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 is great for chap lips" about Kiehl's Lip Balm #1

jdt2912 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:36:16 GMT

When I was a kid I had terrible chap lip problems in the winter. They would crack and bleed and when I tried to do something like drink orange juice it could be excruciating. I would end up using Crisco on my lips, and while it actually worked pretty well, I have to admit it makes me cringe a bit now knowing I was putting a bunch of shortening on my mouth to cure chap lips.

Thes days I use plain Chap Stick most of the time (the fruit flavors make my stomach a bit queasy) because it's easy to find and inexpensive. However, when I can find it for a good price I love Kiehl's Lip Balm #1. My wife and I recently stayed in a hotel that featured Kiehl's toiletries and I came home with 2 free new tubes, which will last me for a while.

The balm itself is thick and gooey and stays put really well. Not only does it soak in and go to work almost immediately, it's substantial enough to keep working for a while with just one application. There is an ititial smell a bit like Dr. Bronner's liquid soap,...

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ashb915 says "Bounce Dryer Bar makes laundry day easier!" about Bounce Dryer Bar

ashb915 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:51:53 GMT

I received a free Bounce Dryer Bar from work and will never go back to dryer sheets! I either forget to put dryer sheets in or add too many and waste them. I also seem to have them all over my place after a day of doing laundry so the idea of not having to deal with them anymore made me very happy.

I simply made sure that I had the bar stuck on securely before my first load and have had no issues with the bar coming off at all. It leaves my clothes smelling great and there is no static issues.

The Bounce Dryer Bar is a time saver, money saver, and it is even better for the planet!

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Matt says "The Posse Foundation identifies and builds tomorrow's leaders " about The Posse Foundation

Matt — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:43:38 GMT

The Posse Foundation identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes. Posse's partner colleges and universities award Posse Scholars four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships. These Scholars graduate at a rate of 90 percent and make a visible difference on campus and throughout their professional careers.

About a year ago I got involved with a not for profit organization called The Posse Foundation that is headquartered in New York but also has a Chicago Chapter. The Posse Foundation was inspired by the simple insight that scholarship students from inner city schools often have a hard time college because they do not have the same support system that other kids do. Posse seeks to address this issue through a unique process that identifies through nomination 2,000+ kids throughout a city (in this case Chicago) and then puts them through a variety of very interesting and...

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Matt says "The KindleDX is even better than the original Kindle" about Amazon Kindle DX

Matt — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:21:45 GMT

I have owned a Kindle since it originally came out but only used it a few times while on vacation. Then recently a friend bought me the Kindle DX as a present and I have to say, I like it much better than the original Kindle. The largest display really helps me feel like it is more like a book than the smaller format did. I also really like how it displays the percentage completion. I find that to be an excellent motivator to keep reading.

The display is great and very easy on the eyes. I have also been using black leather cover and a itty bitty book light both of which really enhance the experience.

For anyone who is on the edge about the Kindle DX, I highly recommend it!

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dpeck says "Great experimental electronic music" about dep - Instructions for Flying

dpeck — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:24:34 GMT

I love it when folks get in touch to tell me of new music they've released. One such release is the wonderfully bright Instructions for Flying by dep. I loved his previous release nothing to undo : nothing to redo and was eager to hear how he has progressed as an artist.

I have to say I am impressed. His music is bright, melodic & deeply atmospheric electronica. No theme is overused... no sound is overplayed... and there is an overriding sense that everything is exactly where it should be.

Words like delicate & intricate come to mind as I listen to "these are your marching orders" which reminds me of The Album Leaf and Sigur Ros circa Takk... > the track building_ marching even_ towards a climatic finish.

His sound still retains a sense of the glitchy... rhythms are scattered, bells weave in and out, vocals are fractured... but there is also a sense of a broadening in outlook... a real undercurrent of post-rock flavouring... a widening of sound and real emphasis placed on ambience.

I would...

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schoksi says "nobody ever wins a fight" about Road House

schoksi — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:30:08 GMT

This movie is so bad its ridiculous good. Swayze plays a one time NYU philosophy student turned world's greatest barroom bouncer, the one and only Dalton. He drives an old mercedes. He says things like, "pain don't hurt". And he never wears a shirt. He is rightfully a legend and is treated like one by the locals of the town he moves to in order to save "The Double Deuce..." the lousy bar he has come to save. The villain in the movie is great, not sure who the actor is but boy is he evil. He doesn't even follow standard traffic rules. There are like three businesses in the whole town, and the only available housing for Dalton is across the river from the villain's pad. There's action, romance and more unintentional humor you can stand. Its a classic. Its the best. Its road house, go see it NOW if you haven't experienced this cinematic masterpiece.

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