Reviews by Friends of tina257

CyndiA says "French's spicy brown mustard - nice taste with a little kick. " about French's brown mustard

CyndiA — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:31:54 GMT

My son just discovered French's spicy brown mustard which made me laugh, since I've always had some on hand. I'll eat the regular hot dog mustard, but I like the little extra zip with the spicy brown. The kid didn't touch it, since it said "spicy." He's not big on hot foods.

I grilled brats, and we were out of yellow mustard. So, the kid decided to try French's spicy brown, and it was love at first bite.

Don't let the name fool you. French's spicy brown is just a nice balanced mustard with a bit of extra flavor but not enough to put anyone off. If it had much kick, the kid would not have eaten it and sure would not be using up all my French's spicy brown mustard now.

Looks like I can cut way back on plain yellow mustard and double up on French's spicy. My son likes it on burgers, sandwiches, and on fried Spam or Treet meat. It's his new favorite condiment.

If you've hesitated to try French's spicy brown due to the spicy name, give it a try. It really is not hot at all. It just packs a bit...

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CyndiA says "Grill Floss - best barbecue grill cleaning tool I've ever owned." about Grillfloss - Barbecue Cleaning Tool, GFLXL, Stainless Steel

CyndiA — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:06:00 GMT

I looked at GrillFloss a long time before I bought one, and I was blown away by how well it worked. It's one of those products that I should have bought long ago. It makes cleaning a barbecue grill so much easier.

Grill Floss has a hook on the end. The hook can be flipped over for larger sized grates. I generally use the smaller end with charcoal grates, since I cook over charcoal most often. And, those grates tend to be the thinner wire types. But, Grill Floss works well on the larger gas grill grates too.

With the little hook design, this just slides right up and down the grate and into the corners and does a great job in getting the gunk off. It takes hardly any elbow grease at all especially if you use GrillFloss when the grates are still warm.

I was so impressed with Grill Floss that I added it at my Open Sky Yes You Can Grill barbecue store online. I just carry top picks for outdoor cooking, so this is definately a thumbs up and a grill cleaning tool I'd recommend to anyone who grills...

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CyndiA says "Acer Aspire netbook - great "on the go" computer in a mini size." about Acer Netbook Aspire One

CyndiA — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:54:45 GMT

One of my students showed up with an Acer Aspire, and I was amazed at how small the little netbook is compared to a full sized laptop computer. I'm not tall enough to actualy use a laptop on my lap, but the Acer looked like it might work. And, it did. The Acer Aspire fits right on my lap with room to move my elbows out and type. Yay!

Now, I have an Acer. It's red, but the red color is not fire engine. It's more a burnt red color. They have pink like in the photo as well as blue, black, and white.

Mine is the 10 inch, since they are phasing out the 9 inch. The only difference is screen size. You don't get a smaller netbook with a 9 inch. You just get a little more plastic around the edges.

The main difference with the netbooks is that they have less storage space, but I do an heavy duty computer work on my desktop computer. A netbook is not designed to hold big programs like PageMaker, but it does fine with MS Word and a few other smaller programs loaded on there. You do need a portable...

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Bryan-Carey says "Don't Break the Ice: Simple, Quick Family Game" about Milton Bradley Don't Break the Ice Game

Bryan-Carey — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:55:14 GMT

Most every child likes to play games and many great memories are formed when families take time to play games with their children- even if the game is short and simple. One game that fits this definition is Don't Break the Ice, a simple, quick game from Milton Bradley.

Game Commentary:

Don't Break the Ice is a game consisting of multiple pieces that have to be assembled each time the game is played. There are a total of thirty- eight pieces: 32 small "cubes" of ice; one large cube that is equal in size to four of the smaller cubes; one red- colored person wearing skates; and two interlocking sides that form the base in which the pieces of ice are placed; and two mallets. The base has to be snapped together and the pieces of ice squeezed inside the base (while inverted) in order to prepare for play. The last step is to place the plastic skating figure on top of the large block, pressing the skater into place. Players than tap the blocks of ice, one at a time, while trying to avoid having...

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ChrisJarmick says "Awful Movies that are less fun than watching paint dry." about Worst Movies Bad Films Part 14

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:20:14 GMT

Worst Movies the 14th part in a numbered series of 16. These are not the fun kind of worst movies. Those kind of movies I call baaad movies. These are worthless movies that offer so little to the viewer they will simply suck up your time and make you feel foolish for doing so. Some of these will insult your intelligence, some will appear to offer some good actors, subject matter or something else that might entice you to keep watching.

There are much better choices to make than any of these. Avoid them..

Striptease (1996) Director: Andrew Bergman
Starring: Demi Moore, Armand Assante, Burt Reynolds, Ving Rhames, Robert Patrick, Paul Guilfoyle, Rumer Willis, Frances Fisher

Single mom (Demi Moore) gets a job as a stripper to make money to fight her ex-husband for custody of their child. Burt Reynolds plays a horny congressman and Moore's real-life daughter, Rumer, is the little girl. It wasn't as campy as Showgirls and none of it was very interesting unless you wanted...

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ChrisJarmick says "Worst of the Worst Movies ; Stinkeroos to avoid." about Worst Movies, Bad Films Part 13 of 16

ChrisJarmick — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:39:55 GMT

Part 13 of the Worst Movies at your service. These are movies that are worthless wastes of time. If any of them offer a few minutes of entertainment, consider that there are many movies that you probably have not seen, that offer much more. Your investment of time has value...more value than any of these movies will return to you.

Avoid the following:

Shanghai Surprise (1986) Director: Jim Goddard
Starring: Sean Penn, Madonna, Paul Freeman, Richard Griffiths, Philip Sayer, Clyde Kusatsu, Kay Tong Lim

Madonna plays a missionary nurse in 1937 China who hires a dim-witted American fortune hunter (her then-real-life-husband, Sean Penn) to find a stash of stolen opium. She wants the drugs so she can help her patients and get out of China. There's no chemistry between Penn and Madonna and the pacing of the movie is awful, and the dialogue is terrible. George Harrison who was the executive producer of this film said working with the very spoiled Madonna and on this movie was the...

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ChrisJarmick says "Rotten, Lousy, Worthless movies to avoid." about Worst Movies, Bad Films Part 12 of 16

ChrisJarmick — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:08:09 GMT

Worst Movies Part 12. Here are several more movies to avoid. They might look like something worth watching but don't be fooled, these movies are a waste of time. Choose something else or read a book, instead. These are not worth your time.

The Postman (1997)
Director: Kevin Costner Starring: Kevin Costner, Will Patton, Larenz Tate, Olivia Williams, James Russo, Daniel Von Bargen, Tom Petty, Scott Bairstow, Roberta Maxwell

Postman is a very very long movie that Costner directed himself. You'd think after Waterworld he would stay away from these post-apocalypse tales.. but no.. In this lousy film he's a survivor who passes himself off as a postman in order to give hope to the ravaged communities left alive in the world. Why didn't he give hope to movie audiences and not make this movie? Story has it, the project was falling apart until he signed onto it originally just to act in it, but then he took on directing the movie. Let's assume Costner had the best of intentions. ...

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ChrisJarmick says "Worst of the Worst Movies. The ones to avoid." about Worst Movies Bad Films Part 11

ChrisJarmick — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:27:31 GMT

Welcome to Part 11 of my round up of some of the Worst Films ever made. These are not the kind of bad films that are fun to watch. These are just terrible films possessing such little entertainment that in my opinion they are to be avoided.

There are so many better choices out there, I hope you’ll be able to avoid the movies I’ve listed here and you gain from my pain and suffering, avoiding the agony of wasted time for little to no reward. Most of these movies I saw in movie theaters sometimes at screenings or I watched them as part of an assignment for an article or essay or larger review I was working on. Most of these are not direct to video type movies. There have been some very good direct to video movies, but the percentage of good ones to worthwhile ones is pretty low; a little bit of research and you should be able to spare yourself disappointment.

Yet with all my experience and knowledge I will still make mistakes. Today, if a film does not impress or at...

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Bryan-Carey says "Ravensburger Princess Puzzle will keep Your Princesses Occupied " about Ravensburger Princess Jigsaw Puzzle 24pc

Bryan-Carey — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:40:04 GMT

Putting puzzles together is a great exercise for youngsters, for it improves fine motor skills and gives children a sense of achievement. Some puzzles have far too many pieces for the youngest children, but this problem is eliminated with the Ravensburger Princess Jigsaw Puzzle, a large, twenty- four piece puzzle that kids can put together with ease.

Puzzle Commentary:

The Ravensburger Princess Jigsaw Puzzle is a large puzzle with large pieces. The pieces are interlocking and feature the same standard shape common to a traditional puzzle. Each piece of this puzzle measures about four by six inches, is made out of thick, heavy cardboard stock, and is unlikely to get broken. The pieces are specially coated, with a so- called Easy Clean Surface that can be wiped clean with a damp cloth without damaging the pieces of the puzzle.

Jigsaw puzzles are a great learning tool for children and they offer a nice departure from the usual type of toy. The problem with most puzzles, from the perspective...

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ChrisJarmick says "Part 2 Christmas Movies you aren't sick of incl. baaad ones!" about Best Christmas Holiday Movies

ChrisJarmick — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:02:11 GMT

Best Holiday Movies, Best Christmas Movie suggestions part 2 of 2. When you're in the mood for holiday themed movies but you've seen It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Christmas Carol and other well known movies too many times, it is time for you to consider these other, just under the radar holiday movie gems. Christmas movies you aren't sick of...

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS-- 1945

Set in 1903, it revolves around the romantic trials and family life of Esther Smith (Judy Garland) who falls for the boy next door but learns that her father has taken a job that will uproot the family from St. Louis and land them in New York at the end of the year. Eldest sister Rose (Lucille Bremer) also experiences romantic woes as she awaits a long distance proposal from New York. All the while, the Smith family awaits the arrival of the World's Fair; an event they're convinced will make St. Louis the country's main attraction. It takes place over 4 seasons and includes THE TROLLEY SONG. Vincent...

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Bryan-Carey says "Brut Keeps You Dry, but Stretches the Truth" about Brut Antiperspirant Deodorant

Bryan-Carey — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:49:01 GMT

Deodorant is a universal need and it’s a product that takes on several different forms. Some people prefer gels. Other people prefer stick. There are even some who would like to turn back the hands of time to the day when spray was popular. My personal preference is gel, but I will sample other forms when the opportunity is right. One stick deodorant I tried recently is Brut Anti- Perspirant Deodorant, a deodorant with the familiar brut scent.

Deodorant Commentary:

Brut Anti- Perspirant Deodorant is a white colored, stick- style deodorant with a scent that offers the smell of brut- just like the aftershave, only a little milder. The product offers both odor protection and wetness protection and it utilizes its special ingredient Trimax, which helps keep you dry and odor- free. The formula is powerful enough to keep you free from odor and wetness for a full twenty- four hours.

Like I said above, my deodorant preference is gel, but much like any consumer good, I am always game to...

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CyndiA says "Love Softsoap Pomegranate and Mango - Yum - So Sexy. " about Softsoap Pomegranate and Mango Moisturizing Body Wash

CyndiA — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:13:50 GMT

I like Softsoap products in general, but I really LOVE the new pomegranate and mango scent. Whew boy. It's a wonderful scent both in the bathroom and all over the house when it's shower time for anyone around here.

Softsoap brand is inexpensive for the bottle soap, and I've found the squeeze soap works better around here. The bars get so messy, and I'm not even convinced the boys use bar soap when I put that in the shower.

I've always just grabbed any scent of Softsoap. One is about as good as another . . . until this pomegranate and mango. They just really knocked it out of the park with this scent.

I thought it just might be me, but my son in college mentioned that the last soap I sent was really great. Yep. It was the pomegranate and mango scent. He has a girlfriend now, so that may be part of the reason he noticed, but this Softsoap really does smell wonderful.

This week I found Softsaop pomegranate and mango at the Dollar Store in town. The manager taught me piano lessons, so I...

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ChrisJarmick says "Best Holiday Movies including lesser known suggestions too." about Best Christmas Holiday Movies

ChrisJarmick — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:50:59 GMT

Best Christmas Holiday movies is a two part essay that will concentrate on several movies that may be just under your radar when you think of Christmas movies, but you should probably consider as wonderful alternative holiday fare to watch. I'll mention the most popular ones, my alternates and at the end of part 2 some so bad they are good choices too.

This is part 1 of 2 (they are both labeled the same.. oops..) Part 2 is here: http://www.viewpoints.com/Best-Christmas-Movies-Top-Holiday-Movies-Alternate-Seasonal-Movie-Part-1-of-2--303616-review-945a1

I'll run through the more obvious popular ones first:

The best CHRISTMAS CAROL (there are several and all are fun to watch) is the one with Alistair Sims made in 1951 sometimes called SCROOGE, sometimes called A Christmas Carol. It's based on the timeless A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens. The television version with George C. Scott is very good too!!! There's also the decent musical version with Albert Finney...

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Bryan-Carey says "Take New Chapter Every Man's One Daily for Your Good Health" about New Chapter Every Man's One Daily

Bryan-Carey — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:15:24 GMT

Health is an important concern to many and the health business is a growing, thriving industry with products and services that span far and wide. Achieving proper nutrition is the first, preventative measure on the path toward good health and one product that helps men achieve this goal is New Chapter Organics Every Man's One Daily, a multi- vitamin product.

Dietary Supplement Commentary:

New Chapter Organics Every Man's One Daily is a dietary supplement that helps men maintain good health and improve immunity. These tablets are large in size (about seven- eights of an inch long), are organically composed, and offer a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients.

I have enjoyed very good health since I was born and based on my track record with illness, I obviously have a very strong immune system. I don't really need to take multi- vitamins or other supplements. However, based on the number of health threats detailed on the nightly news, one can never be too safe...

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ChrisJarmick says "More stinkers to flush out or your life and avoid!" about Worst Movies Worst of the Worst Part 10-B Extra Bad Movies

ChrisJarmick — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:27:29 GMT

A few worthless movies I meant to mention in earlier parts of my Worst of the Worst essay slipped through the cracks, so I wanted to warn you about these before I continue forward with the next parts of my Worst Movies lists.

They are:

ANGER MANAGEMENT- Directed by Peter Segal

The airplane scene that was in the trailers and the first "I feel pretty" scene will probably make you laugh out loud. But nearly all the rest of the film utterly wastes Jack Nicholson and whatever talent you claim Adam Sandler has (I really enjoyed Happy Gilmore by the way). It's painful to watch flat unfunny ideas and jokes just sputter and stink up the place for a 100 minutes or so. Ugh.

BAD BOYS 2 (2003) Directed by Michael Bay

Nobody expected it to be very good but one would expect the charisma of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence to make for a fun movie, right? Bruckheimer and Bay certainly should have delivered a silly, big action instantly forgettable stunt movie for the summer crowd. Instead you...

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Bryan-Carey says "Organix with Shea Butter Cleans, Moisturizes, and Smells Great " about Organix Smoothing Shea Butter Shampoo

Bryan-Carey — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:26:23 GMT

Shampoos range from the ordinary to the unusual and there are more options in hair cleaning today than at any point in recent memory. One company known for its assortment of interesting shampoo products is Organix and one of its many hair care products is Organix Smoothing Shea Butter Shampoo, a moisturizing and healing shampoo.

Shampoo Commentary:

Organix Smoothing Shea Butter Shampoo is a thick, clear shampoo that is manufactured with shea butter, yogurt proteins, and avocado oils. This product offers a pleasant scent that combines shea butter with certain level of sweetness. The product is sulfate- free and, like all Organix products, it is not tested on animals. This product offers a great scent, cleanses the hair and scalp very well, rinses out surprisingly fast, and leaves your hair soft and manageable.

Shampoo products are much more exotic than they used to be and Organix products certainly fit this description. Organix Smoothing Shea Butter Shampoo is one of several that include...

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ChrisJarmick says "First Movies by Famous Directors Features Saturday on TCM." about Turner Classic Movies, Director Debuts, Silent Movies & More November 7 & 8, 2009

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:41:26 GMT

What's worth watching on Cable Channel TCM aka Turner Classic Movies this Saturday and Sunday?

Loaded question. In my brief essays I can only cover part of what is offered. You look over the day and you'll find minor gems and good movies showing up day and night. Let me suggest some movies and programs to view or DVR.

On Saturday November 7, TCM has an interesting night of Director Debuts or the very first movies several well known directors delivered for our viewing pleasure. Neat idea.

Sunday TCM gives us a couple movies starring Robert Stack and then some silent movies shorts, cartoons and features about the game of baseball.

Woody Allen's first movie is technically What's Up Tiger Lilly, but 95 percent of that movie consists of a previously released Japanese James Bond spy thriller knock-off whose dialogue has been replaced by American Actors. So....that means Woody's first live action original film is 1969's Take the Money and Run.

I don't care if...

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ChrisJarmick says "Grace Kelly, Johnny Mercer musicals & Putney Swope too. Wow." about Classic Movies, TCM Movies, Controversial Cult Movies, Grace Kelly, Johnnhy Mercer Nov. 4 to 6, 2009

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:13:11 GMT

Turner Classic Movies explores diversity in film the next few days. And I mean in every way you can think of. The highlight for me over the next few days at TCM are the cult movies showing late Friday Night. Two controversial gems directed by Robert Downey, yes, Iron Man Robert Downey Jr.'s dad. He was responsible for the low budget bitingly sarcastic once x rated comedy called Putney Swope from 1969 and for the quirky, some though blasphemous Greaser's Palace. You want to see something different?

Before we get to these movies:

Movies featuring the lyrics of Johnny Mercer are the spotlight on Wednesday Night. On Thursday it's movies with Grace Kelly followed by movies that have plots based on well Princesses that will remind you of Grace Kelly. I like the way the programmers think at TCM. Then on Friday night they call their two spotlight movies End of the Line denoting last Kings, Czars and/or Emperors.

It's famed song lyricist Johnny Mercer's 100th birthday...

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Bryan-Carey says "AFLAC Insurance: Supplemental Insurance for Peace of Mind" about Aflac

Bryan-Carey — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:12:39 GMT

Insurance is a necessary evil. Most insurance products offer nothing in return for your money except for peace of mind and many of these products do not offer enough protection when a crisis strikes. For those who could benefit from a little added peace of mind, the insurance industry brings us AFLAC Insurance, a company with dozens of different insurance policies for greater financial security.

Insurance Commentary:

I have held several different roles in accounting, finance, and management during my working career and AFLAC Insurance is a company I have grown to know quite well. I have served as the administrator of my company's AFLAC insurance plan in past job positions and I have dealt directly with AFLAC representatives. In general, my experience has been positive, but the overall picture with AFLAC Insurance does reveal a few blemishes, which is typical of many insurance companies.

Looking at the positive news first, AFLAC Insurance is a good place to turn when you want insurance...

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ChrisJarmick says "Drag Me is a Hell of a Lot of FUN for Raimi's horror fans." about Drag Me To Hell : Unrated Directors cut

ChrisJarmick — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:09:43 GMT

Sam Raimi who delivered 3 Spiderman box office blockbusters, got his start making very low budget movies that were full of innovative, imaginative, and quite over the top special effects in Evil Dead. It's been 17 years since he's made Army of Darkness the third is in his Evil Dead trilogy.

Drag Me To Hell was delivered to theaters as a PG13 gift to his fans, in the hopes the under 16 crowd would flock to his campy horror tale.

The film bombed at the box-office. The unrated DVD is at least close to the wild ride of a movie his fans wanted to see. It's full of gross outs, involving insects and maggotts and arms shoved down people's throats and slimy dentures flying about too. There's some decent set pieces, decent special effects, some chuckles and a good ending.

Drag Me To Hell is a good Halloween movie.

Reasons to see Drag Me To Hell

1. Sam Raimi directed. He hasn't directed a horror movie in many years and that's good news for his fans.
2. It's not a slasher...

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